The Sound of Silence
by NovaCaine9923
Summary: Though Spectra Vondergeist is living her dream job as a journalist, she feels bored. However, a new mission is placed before her, but it's not what she expected. A crossover with the video game "Wick", this is the seventh story in my series.
1. Chapter 1

**Before this story starts, let me give a bit of background: this is a crossover between a doll franchise created by Mattel called 'Monster High', and a little known computer game called 'Wick' by the company HellBent Games. Originally, this was going to be a crossover with Five Nights at Freddy's, another horror game, but I chose Wick instead since not many folks know about it and as a result, there is very little fanfiction of it. I was a bit apprehensive to write this at first, since I wasn't sure how readers would react, and I almost discarded this idea entirely. However, one morning, I woke up and I had this story in my mind about a group of children who had never quite died, a secret agency, a quest for peace and the ghost woman who was supposed to pull it all together. And now, I present to you: The Sound of Silence.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _"Hello Darkness, my old friend_

 _I've come to talk with you again_

 _Because a vision softly creeping_

 _Left its seeds while I was sleeping_

 _And the vision that was planted in my brain_

 _Still remains_

 _within the sound_

 _of silence."_

 _\- Simon & Garfunkel_

 _Prologue:_

 _The year is 1908_

The woods were a wonderful place to be during the Spring, but of course, not many people were around this thick forest, especially during this season where there was work to be done.

It was a busy town, and it was a busy time to be alive. The men were out working their various jobs while the women reared their children or helped their husbands, for it was just the way their world worked.

But, in the center of these woods stood a cherry tree, and its beauty stood out from all the other trees in the woods. Beneath this lovely tree lay a girl, her white dress spread about her like a blanket of snow, and her long black hair lying in the grass around her head. She stared up at the sky, watching the clouds pass by above her, and she sighed. The girl sat up, her hair falling in her face, and she brushed it away. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet air, only to be struck with a heavy, blunt object.

"Mary!" A voice snapped, and she looked up.

Her uncle Thomas, the one who'd thrown the big, ugly shoe at her, was approaching with a scowl on his face. When she stood up and smoothed her dress out, Thomas snatched up her wrist.

"I told you to go out and buy milk," he slurred drunkenly, getting uncomfortably close to her. "Do I see any milk jugs here? No!" He raised his hand as if to slap her, and when she cowered, he laughed. "There ya go again! Ha! I raised you well when your momma died, eh? Let's go, now!"

He began to drag her away, and she turned to look reluctantly back at the cherry tree. When he tugged at her arm, she turned back to him and kept walking. Mary suddenly felt something in her mouth, and she stopped quickly. Thomas looked at her questioningly, asking, "What?"

When she lifted up part of her lip to show him, he laughed again. "Those teeth of yours grew right back? Well, I'll be! We'll sand 'em down tonight, honey,"

They walked away from the woods, and the skies began to cloud up. Rain was about to fall.

Chapter one:

The Mission

 _Present day_

It was Halloween night.

The street lights were low as the white car pulled into the parking lot of a building, called, "New Salem Monster Center". The car parked, and out stepped two figures. One carried a briefcase, and the other clutched a rather bulky binder close to their chest. They walked up to the doors and entered.

They headed for the conference room, and once they'd entered, they were greeted by the others.

"I am pleased to meet you!" Smiled Miss Bloodgood, who sat at the head of the conference table. She shook the hand of one of the guests, a gray-haired man in a sharp suit. "Dr. Calvin, I presume?"

Dr. Calvin smiled, shaking Bloodgood's hand. "Yes, of course. And you are Nora Bloodgood?" When she nodded, he continued. "Ah. Well, it's lovely to meet you. We have much to discuss!" He gestured to his partner, saying, "This is one of my best agents, Miss Aaleyah,"

"Aaleyah?" Bloodgood turned to the woman, who also wore a black suit but had a bright purple scarf around her head. It was quite the contrast. "Is that your first or last name?"

"First name," Aaleyah answered quickly. "My last name is classified,"

"What an interesting last name!" chuckled a voice from the table, and Bloodgood shot her companion a look.

"Now is not the time for jokes, Dracula, sir," she turned back to her guests and motioned for them to sit. When they did, the meeting began.

Dr. Calvin set the briefcase he'd been carrying on the table and popped it open, spreading an array of photographs on the table. "This is about the Weaver children," he began, holding a blurry photograph up for Bloodgood to see. "For years, many thought these children were only legends, but last week they got all too real," He then put a newspaper clipping in front of Bloodgood, saying, "A fourteen year old girl came rushing out of the woods after her friends dared her to play a little 'game' around midnight. She said she was attacked, and her arms were covered in bite marks. They weren't made by an animal, though," he showed a picture of the wound on the girl's arm. "It had clearly been human teeth,"

"That doesn't mean anything," Dracula spoke up, sounding a little irritated. "Her friends could have faked it- perhaps they bit her themselves,"

"With all due respect," said Carrie, who was sitting beside the vampire. "Us humans don't usually 'bite' each other,"

"We wondered this as well," Dr. Calvin continued. "But, then we sent an agent into the woods to look for these Weavers, and this was what she saw," He pushed the photographs towards the others, who looked over each one carefully. "The Weaver children are not myths, they are real,"

After inspecting each photo, Bloodgood noted, "They seem to be rogue souls. Not zombies, but not ghosts either,"

"Yes," Aaleyah nodded, folding her hands in front of her. "We hoped you could enlighten us on what exactly a 'rogue soul' is,"

"I can tell you," said a voice, and they all turned to look at Erik (or 'the Phantom of the Opera' as he was known), who'd been quiet for most of the meeting. "I'm half rogue soul myself, I can tell you that they are ghosts who never achieved their final forms. Much like zombies, they are usually stuck in the appearances in which they died, but they cannot rot. So, essentially, they are zombies with ghost-like qualities. They can pass through matter, practice telekinesis, levitate, and do everything else a ghost can do,"

The others took a moment to process this information, and Dr. Calvin nodded. "I see. Well, thank you, sir. That was very helpful. Anyway, we are looking to capture the Weaver children and imprison them in our facility, to secure them inside a cosmic-painted cell, contain them inside with staff working twenty-four hours a day, and protect them from the outside world. Or rather, protect the outside world from them," there was pause, and he turned to Bloodgood. "However, since you are high school principal who works with child-like monsters on a regular basis, we wanted to know if you wanted to reform and turn them into functioning members of your society. It's certainly no easy task, given their background, but-"

"I accept," Bloodgood said quickly, handing the pictures back to Dr. Calvin. "A former student of mine was once a rogue soul, but through establishing relationships and settling into her new life, she was able to shed her old form and gain a new, ghostly form. I believe these children can do the same, and we can change them into new beings. I'll contact my student tomorrow, for I think she will be very beneficial to this mission,"

Dr. Calvin nodded, putting the pictures back in the briefcase. "I see. Well, you know where to find them, but I strongly advise you to be careful. People go into those woods and don't always come back,"

"Oh, trust me," Bloodgood smiled knowingly. "The only way to outsmart a monster is with more monsters. Nobody knows that better than I,"

Morning came.

Spectra Vondergeist leaned against the wall of the elevator, staring absent-mindedly at the ceiling and waiting to arrive at her workplace. The elevator let out a 'ping' and slowed, and the doors opened. She floated out and made her way to her cubicle, pulling her chair away from the desk and sitting down, sighing. As she began the daily search for something productive, she heard a voice she dreaded hearing this time of day.

"Hiya, Spectra!"

Spectra grimaced, took a deep breath and put on a fake smile. "Good morning, Ron,"

Ron, a scrawny raccoon who'd just begun working there, just grinned happily and sipped down his coffee. "Found a good story, yet?"

"No," Spectra sighed, turning away. "All the good stories are taken,"

"Oh," Ron was quiet, and then he said, "You can have one of mine!"

Spectra perked up a bit. "What kind if stories do you cover?"

Ron cleared his throat, took out the paper he was clutching beneath his arm and read, "'Unknown perverted werecat snatches teen's bra,'"

"Never mind," Spectra waved him off. "Maybe I'll find a good one later,"

At this moment, the door towards the back of the room opened, and in walked their boss, Mr. Ashbrooke. He was a large, horned creature with a long and rather fluffy tail, and as he began telling all his employees abut the busy day ahead in his loud voice, Spectra tuned him out and began to look at her computer. However, she was yanked back into reality when Ashbrooke suddenly said her name.

"Spectra Vondergeist needs to see me in my office once you all get working. Anyway..."

Spectra's head had snapped right back up, and she stared at her boss in alarm as he kept talking. When Ron noticed her, he nudged her. "Hey, maybe this is what you've been waiting for!"

Once the daily speech was over, Ashbrooke gestured to Spectra, and she got up and followed quietly. As she hovered behind him, she wanted to ask what was going on, but she figured she'd find out once they arrived at his office.

Ashbrooke ushered her into his office, where she was surprised to see someone she hadn't expected to see.

"Ms. Bloodgood!" Spectra gasped, rushing over. "What are you doing here?"

Bloodgood smiled at her former student, standing up to shake her hand. "Hello, Spectra. It's so nice to finally see you after all these years,"

"She said she had a plan involving you," explained Ashbrooke, sitting down at his desk and sipping his coffee. "And it sounds like it could make for a good story. I know you've been aching to write one,"

Spectra quickly seated herself, turning to Bloodgood with excitement. "Well, what is it? Can you tell me?"

Bloodgood chuckled, getting a paper out of a folder she had tucked beneath her arm. "All right, I can tell you're quite anxious! But believe me, it won't be easy,"

"That's fine!" Spectra gratefully took the paper and began to read, but her smile faded. "Wait...the Weaver kids? You mean...?"

"Yes, those Weaver children," when Spectra looked up in confusion, Bloodgood took a deep breath and began. "You see, I held a meeting last night with some people from the SCP Foundation, and they're looking to catch the Weaver children. I, however, believe that we can reform them and help them become functioning members of society rather than locking them up in a facility. I chose you to help me reform them since they are considered rogue souls, as you once were,"

Upon hearing this, Ashbrooke looked at Spectra in alarm. "You were once a rogue soul?"

Spectra's excitement faded, and the paper dropped to her lap. "Miss Bloodgood, I...I was just a kid then!"

Bloodgood nodded. "Yes, I know. They're children, too, and maybe you can find common ground with them and get to know them,"

"And it might be fun," Ashbrooke added. "I mean, I have kids, and they're fun. But they're not crazy, muderous dead normies, but..."

"Anyway," Bloodgood cut in, gently taking the paper back from Spectra. "My idea is that you would come stay with me at my house, where we would keep the children and reform them. The SCP has given us as much time as we need to complete the mission, and there will be an agent checking in every time and again. There will be ways of containing them, so we need not worry. What do you think?"

Spectra thought this over, then she asked, "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow. The best time for you to move in is tomorrow. Would that be good?"

"This is all happening so fast! I..." Spectra was about to say no, but when she saw the hopeful look on Bloodgood's face and thought about writing down the whole experience, she decided to take a leap of faith. "I'll do it,"

Bloodgood grinned, shaking Spectra's hand once more and standing up. "Oh, thank you, Spectra! I knew I could count on you! See you tomorrow morning, dear,"

As Bloodgood left the room, Spectra couldn't help but just sit there silently for a few minutes and contemplate what she'd just agreed to. After a few minutes, Ashbrooke spoke up gruffly, "You're dismissed, Ms. Vondergeist,"

Spectra hovered back to her desk and sat down, and the gravity of everything that she'd just decided to do hit her. "Oh, God!" She groaned, resting her head in her hands. "What am I doing?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Moving In

Spectra opened her eyes, only to close them again at a familiar light.

"Where am I?" She murmured, standing up and looking around. It was her old childhood home, but something was different. It was darker, more sinister than she remembered. She walked around a bit, wondering what could be happening. As she passed into her old bedroom, she had to stop at what she saw sitting on the floor: a small child.

The little girl was dressed in fine clothes, her hair was done in ribbons, and she was playing with a music box on the floor. Spectra hid herself a bit, watching her silently and recognizing this child. Suddenly, there was a crash and a yell from down the hall, and both Spectra and the girl looked in the direction where it had come from. After a few minutes, a man came stumbling in, a beer bottle in his right hand and a knife in the other. He saw the child and rushed towards her, and Spectra realized what was going on.

"No!" She yelped, leaping forward and reaching for the girl. "No, don't!" Spectra snatched up the child, only to have her turn to dust in her arms. There was nothing but darkness, now, and Spectra cried out into the emptiness. "Where'd you go!?"

A loud, blaring sound rang through the darkness, and Spectra realized that it was her alarm. The whole ordeal had been a dream.

She shut the alarm off, realized what day it was, and sighed. After preparing and eating breakfast, Spectra began to pack things for her suitcase and tidy her apartment for when she'd be back. She actually had no idea when she'd be back, but she figured somebody would tell her eventually.

Spectra gathered all her belongings and summoned her ferret, Rhuen, and she headed for her car.

It wasn't long before she arrived at Bloodgood's house, and right away she noticed the moving truck parked right near the house next door. As Spectra got out of the car, she was greeted by Bloodgood.

"Right on time!" Bloodgood exclaimed, helping her former student with her bags. "Let me show you to your room, dear. I have another guest staying here, so you'll have to take the room Abbey used to stay in when she was here. Oh, that was years ago, now,"

Before Bloodgood could reminisce, Spectra pointed at the truck next door. "Who's your new neighbor?"

Bloodgood looked up, and her attention shifted to her new neighbor. "Oh? I don't know," She turned to Spectra and led her to the front door. "Leave your bags here, Miss Vondergeist. I'm just going to see who's moving in,"

As Bloodgood walked towards the house next door, Spectra took the bags inside so she'd know they were out of harm's way. With Rhuen perched on her shoulder, Spectra headed back outside to talk to Bloodgood.

Outside, a pudgy Hispanic woman talked to Bloodgood on the lawn. She wore a pink uniform with a neat little name tag, and she pointed to it when she said, "You can call me 'Nelly'!"

"Pleased to meet you, Nelly," Bloodgood smiled, shaking her hand. "You'll love this neighborhood, I'm sure. It's a beautiful house as well,"

Nelly shook her head. "Oh, I'm not the one moving in. I'm an aide for the man moving in, he's wheelchair bound with no one else to care for him, poor thing. It won't be here for very long, though,"

"Isn't that something? Good for you, Nelly. Now, can I meet the owner?"

"I'm over here, Nora," a rather gruff voice called. Out from behind the truck, an older vampire with whitening hair came wheeling himself towards the two women, and Bloodgood soon realized who this was.

"Lord Stoker!?" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I am your new neighbor, Nora," he explained, sounding displeased. "Strange, I haven't seen you in ages. Yet, here we are,"

Bloodgood eyed his wheelchair. "What happened to you, Lord Stoker?"

When Stoker said nothing, Nelly cleared her throat. "He was in an accident. Uh- a car accident,"

"I've lost use of both my legs for the next few months," Stoker explained quietly, beginning to wheel himself away. "Until later, Nora. Nelly, inside,"

As he wheeled towards the house with Nelly close behind, Bloodgood watched them silently. Something definitely was not right.

"Bloodgood?" It was Spectra. "What exactly will I be doing here?"

Bloodgood was silent, then she turned to Spectra. "Well, let's go inside and I'll show you,"

They went inside the house, and Spectra was introduced to her room. Though it was small, it included a desk, a bed, a mirror and a small cabinet. It was lovely, and as Spectra began settling in, Bloodgood sat on the bed and gave an overview of what was going to happen.

"First, we have to go collect the children themselves. They are up on Mount Todd, near the normie village. That's about an hour away, and most of the town has been notified that we're coming, so hopefully they won't give us any problems. After we manage to get a hold of the children, we are to drive straight back home. The children are not to interact with anyone else until the SCP gives us permission to let them do so. When they are settled here, their lessons begin,"

"Miss Bloodgood?" Spectra spoke up, setting her makeup case down. "Are you sure we can reform the Weavers? I did some research on them last night, and they've been linked to a good number of disappearances and one possible death,"

Bloodgood sighed. "I am aware, yes. But, many monsters you and I both know are not quite so different from the Weavers. And, they are just children," When Spectra stopped setting things up and leaned against the desk, Bloodgood stood up and touched her shoulder gently. "Would you like to see their room?"

Spectra nodded, and she hovered behind Bloodgood down the hall. Bloodgood stopped at a staircase, and she gestured to Spectra to go up.

"Up there," Bloodgood said quietly, following Spectra up the stairs once she'd obliged. The door was already open, and inside, a familiar young man rearranged some furniture while a radio hummed quietly on a table near the wall. "How's it going?" Bloodgood inquired of the man, tapping his shoulder.

The young man stood up and stretched a bit, sighing. "I think we should be good. There's five kids coming, right?" When Bloodgood nodded, he continued. "There's three cots, one is a trundle bed, or whatever it's called. And we've got a futon, too, so I think we're okay. Can I ask something?"

"Go right ahead, Jared,"

"Why do ghosts need sleep? They're dead, right?"

Bloodgood looked to Spectra, and Spectra realized that she was the one apparently answering questions, now. "Well," Spectra stepped forward, clearing her throat. "We need it to keep our energy up, and we need our energy to strengthen our powers. It's the same reason we need food,"

Jared pondered this for a moment. "Oh. I guess that makes sense," there was a pause, and he stuck his hand out. "I'm Jared,"

"I'm Spectra," she accepted the handshake, though she was reluctant to do so. She knew him, and she knew him all too well. This was the infamous Jared Parker- the murderer of the late Harmony Burns. However, due to current events, Spectra knew better than to bring this up, though she desperately wanted to know why he was there.

"Spectra," Bloodgood spoke up, yanking the ghost out if her thoughts. "I think it's probably best to tell you that I've lined the walls of my house with cosmic paint,"

Spectra raised an eyebrow. "Cosmic paint?"

"It blocks ghosts from seeping through walls," Bloodgood explained, brushing the wall beside her with her fingertips. "It is invisible, but very effective. I got it to keep the children from running away, but since it can affect you, too, I think it's best that you know of its presence,"

"Oh," Spectra tested the wall by attempting to stick her hand through it. She could not pass through. "Thank you for telling me, Bloodgood," When Bloodgood nodded, Spectra inquired, "When do we pick up the children?"

Bloodgood thought for a moment, then stated, "Tomorrow,"

"Tomorrow?!" Spectra exclaimed in surprise. "Why so soon? This is all happening so fast!"

"I would prefer a later time myself," Bloodgood began as she sat down on the futon. "However, the SCP informed me that the children must be retrieved as soon as possible, as workers are going to be tearing up the area to search for traces of those who have disappeared in that forest. Because these workers must have a safe place to work, the Weavers need to be removed, and if we don't do it, the SCP will,"

There was a silence, and Jared spoke up, his voice a little quiet. "So, this is the only chance you have, isn't it?"

"Possibly," Bloodgood nodded. "Hopefully, we can convince these children that new lives in this society will benefit them more than scaring normies in the woods or being locked in a facility for the rest of eternity. And, Spectra, you can interview them as part of your story for your newspaper,"

Spectra thought about this, and she asked, "What information do you already have on the children?"

Bloodgood stood up and beckoned Spectra, leading her downstairs. Jared followed, but perhaps this was because he had nothing better to do. Once they'd arrived at Bloodgood's office, she pulled a folder out of her desk and opened it, revealing a collection of old photographs. She picked one up and handed it to Spectra.

"There are five children," Bloodgood explained as Spectra studied the picture. "The oldest child is Benny, who died at age fourteen. The second oldest, the twins, are Timas and Thomas, and though their ages are currently unknown, we've estimated that they were around twelve or thirteen at their time of death. The next is Caleb, who was nine years old, and the youngest is Lillian, who was only five,"

Upon hearing this, Spectra focused on the little girl sitting in the center of the old photograph. She'd only been five, just as Spectra had been when her life was snatched from her. Her dream came across her memory once more, and she shuddered.

"A fire killed them, right?" Jared asked, picking up another picture and looking at it. "Does anyone know how it started?"

"The fire remains a mystery," Bloodgood sighed. "But, I firmly believe that it was no accident,"

Spectra looked at the faces of these children- they were all beautiful children, yet such beauty had been lost to tragedy. However, there was hope, and they could be restored to what they once were.

"Well," Bloodgood closed the folder, clearing her throat. "It's noon, I'll prepare lunch for you both,"

As she headed for the kitchen, Spectra looked into the folder once more, just to look at Lillian's sweet little face. "You'll be okay," she murmured, touching the child's face lovingly. "I promise you,"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

And so it Begins

The next day, Spectra went out to the Coffin Bean for some breakfast. She'd expected to eat alone, just to get a break from everything, but that changed once she saw her old friend, Operetta.

"Hiya, Sugar!" Operetta grinned as Spectra sat down with her. "How's it goin'?"

Spectra smiled at her companion. "Oh, all right, I guess. But..." Before she could continue, Operetta stopped her.

"I know all about it, Hon. The Weaver kids, right?" When Specta nodded, Operetta continued. "My dad told me everything. He was at that meeting, ya know. So, when are you pickin' em up?"

"Today,"

"Today!? My goodness! That can't be easy,"

Spectra shrugged. "Well, I don't know. Maybe they'll be more willing to listen than most people think,"

Operetta scoffed, sipping her coffee. "From I've heard, those kids are practically animals! I heard one kid actually bites!" When Spectra didn't respond to this, Operetta continued. "Ya know, sugar, I can come with you if you want. What time do you leave?"

Spectra gave her friend a quizzical look. "You really want to come?"

"Yeah, of course! I haven't seen you in forever, and now that I'm livin' on my own, I can practically do anything!" She stopped, and giggled, "Well, not everything, but you get the picture,"

And so, it was set. Operetta was to arrive at 1:30 PM, and Bloodgood would get everyone in her trailer and they would head off for the normie village of Mount Todd (they had to take the trailer instead of Nightmare's carriage, since the trailer had more space). Nightmare was even going to come along, though Bloodgood knew she would be miffed about having to ride in something rather than to pull something herself.

1:30 rolled around, and sure enough, Operetta showed up. After they'd packed money, flashlights, their phones and ghost repellent (just for good measure), the group was ready to head on out. Jared had to take extra precautions, since he was the only normie, and Bloodgood knew she had to be prepared as well. However, she was not worried, since this wasn't the only time she'd dealt with rogue souls.

Spectra, Operetta, Jared, and Nightmare all entered Bloodgood's trailer, which was quite extravagant and large. The driver and passenger seats were separated from the rest of the trailer by a curtain, and the rest of the trailer came complete with a small sofa, a cozy sleeping area, a table with chairs, and a even a kitchenette and a bathroom. Needless to say, it was going to be quite a nice ride.

Once the trip began, however, Nightmare became anxious. She paced the floor on the trailer, occasionally stopping to look out the window and grunt. Jared was in the passenger seat beside Bloodgood, and though there was a curtain separating them from the others, Spectra and Operetta could still hear their quiet conversation.

"So, do you know why he's here?" Operetta asked, gesturing to the curtain.

Spectra sighed, staring out the window. "I think I know why. Jared died, but he was resurrected, and I guess he tried to...you know, 'off' himself. From what I've gathered, Bloodgood is giving him a new place to stay so he won't feel like killing himself. Of course, there may be more to this,"

Operetta nodded. "Yeah, definitely," After a moment, she spoke up again. "Are you sure about this?"

"About what?"

"Ya know, caring for these kids. I mean..."

"I told you," Spectra's voice was firm. "Bloodgood and I know what we're doing," that wasn't exactly true, but it was enough to get Operetta to stop asking. Spectra took the photograph of the Weavers out of her coat pocket, and she studied it once more, just so she could recognize who was who when she saw them.

An hour had passed, the trailer turned on to the bumpy road to Mount Todd. Bloodgood found a good place to park, and she stopped the trailer. "We're here, everyone,"

They got out, and a large billboard advertising a local restaurant called, "The Corner Tavern" was the first to greet them. The town was old, simplistic, and all around just very friendly. As the group headed off, Bloodgood said, "Now, remember. Most of the residents know we're here, so don't be afraid to ask questions,"

Asking questions proved to be no issue, since the residents of the town were easy to talk to and quite friendly. However, they knew very little on the Weaver's history.

"You missed the man who knew lots and lots about that family," sighed one old woman. "We used to call him Old Man Edwards, and he could tell you everything and anything about those kids. His late uncle knew the oldest, Benny, you see? Poor Edwards died a year ago, he was very old,"

"Well, can you remember anything Edwards said about the children?" Inquired Bloodgood. "Anything at all?"

The old woman thought for a moment. "Don't have the best memory," she concluded finally. "But I remember him talking about the kids' mama, Mary Weaver. She was crazy as a loon, poor woman! She loved that bible and God more than she ever loved those kids, you understand? Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she started that dang fire herself! That's all I can remember, sorry. But keep asking around, there ought to be someone who knows more than me!"

They walked around the town a bit more, sightseeing and talking to whoever they could. However, the only information they could gather was what the old woman had already given them. It didn't seem anyone knew much about the Weavers anymore.

The sun was beginning to set, and the group knew that once it was dark, the Weavers would be up and about in those woods. Before they could leave, though, Bloodgood decided that it would be best to eat something.

They stopped for dinner at the Corner Tavern, the one advertised on that board outside the town. And, like the name suggested, it was quite the tavern. It smelled of alcohol and sweat, it was noisy, and Spectra wanted to leave immediately.

However, before they could look for somewhere else to eat dinner, a thick-bodied waitress came sweeping in to greet them.

"You lot seem new 'round here," she grinned, revealing a gold tooth. "First time here?"

"Why, yes," Bloodgood smiled. "As you may or may not be aware, we are here to look for the Weaver kids,"

The waitress gasped in shock. "Really, now!? Well, you came to the right place! The name's Maggie, and my grandmother knew the little one, Lillian. I can tell you lots, but let me get you folks away from all the noise,"

Maggie led them to a separate room off the tavern that was much quieter, and there were only three customers in this area. "We usually use this place for private parties," Maggie explained, leading the group to a table. "But it's great for folks who don't much care for the noise!"

Towards the back of the room, at a small table sat a certain customer that got Bloodgood's attention as she sat down. "Why, my goodness!" She stood back up and went to greet him. "Dr. Wing! I didn't know you would be here!"

Jared looked at Dr. Wing, and he was quite taken aback. "Is that a person!?"

"Don't be rude," Spectra hissed at Jared, silencing him.

Dr. Wing was, to put it mildly, a giant praying mantis. However, unlike an abomination in a horror film, he was finely dressed in a suit with a bow-tie and big black shoes. And, strangest of all, he had hands that almost appeared to be humanoid. He smiled at Bloodgood when she approached, and they hugged one another.

"Oh, Nora, I had a feeling I'd see you!" He exclaimed. "How's it all going, dear?"

"Well, we've stopped here to eat, but we'll pick up the children as soon as we're done," Bloodgood then turned to her companions and gestured to the mantis. "This is Milo Wing, my doctor and trusted friend. Dr. Wing, these are the ones who are helping to contain then children and reform them. Why, Milo, didn't you'd say you'd help us with the children as well?"

Milo gave a firm nod. "Why, yes. Specifically, I was interested in examining them to determine their causes of death. I usually treat the undead, you see,"

"Well, what brings you up here?" Spectra inquired as she and the others sat beside him.

"I'm here to present a new kind of equipment to the hospital here," Dr. Wing explained. "Another doctor was supposed to do it, but I'm afraid he became tied up in other commitments, so I was switched in at the last minute. I'm glad I could see you and talk to you all, though,"

Just then, Maggie walked up to the table. "You finally decided what you want, doc?"

"Huh?" Milo looked up. "Oh! Why...not quite. Would you mind telling me your specials again, Miss Maggie?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Doc, I've told you our specials a few times already! Just meat and potatoes!"

Milo, looking a bit sheepish, made a decision. "I'll try the meat,"

After writing this down, Maggie asked, "And how would you like your beef cooked?"

"Well-done, please,"

Maggie looked back at him. "You sure? I like it rare, myself,"

"Lots of people do," Milo answered simply, sipping his tea. "But, I don't,"

"Aw, come on! I'll tell ya what, the beef here isn't good unless there's just a little blood runnin'!"

Upon hearing this, Milo suddenly seemed uncomfortable. "Ma'am, please cook the steak througoughly,"

"You sure?" She asked one more time.

"Blacken it, burn it if you have to. Just, please- no blood,"

Maggie sighed, writing that down. "Waste of perfectly good meat," she mumbled, and she turned to Bloodgood. "You folks decided what you want?"

"Not yet," Bloodgood answered back. "Ah, now, what about that information you said you knew?"

"Just a second!" Maggie answered, turning and walking towards the kitchen. "Be right back!"

When she disappeared, a man sitting at a nearby table with his wife spoke up. "Why do you take your steak black?"

"I just don't enjoy pink meat," Milo sighed. "It's just personal preference, Mr...?

"Oh, you can call me Kris, and this is my wife, Tiny. And, hey, did I hear you talking about those Weaver kids?"

Bloodgood perked up at hearing this. "Why yes, we were! Do you know anything about them?"

"Sure do!" Tiny spoke up. "My grandad knew lots about them! What is it you wanna hear?"

"Anything!" Spectra said, getting out her notepad. "We're all ears, ma'am,"

Once the attention was focused on her, Tiny began to tell the story her grandfather had told her. "Mary Weaver, before she married, was Mary Thatcher. Her mother died when she was a toddler from tuberculosis, and her dad was nowhere to be found, so her uncle Thomas Thatcher had to raise her,"

"Didn't you say that Mary's mother was a missionary?" Asked Kris. "And her dad was some guy she met while she was in...gosh, I don't remember where. Do you remember?"

"No," Tiny waved him off. "I'm sure it's not important. Anyway, Mary's uncle was an alcoholic, and he drank himself to death after he'd married her off to a guy named John Weaver. Now, Mr. Weaver was a little older than Mary, and my granddad used to say that he started out charming, but after getting married, he suddenly got really grouchy. Grandad used to say that Mary 'sucked the life out of him'. I'm not surprised, she was batshit crazy!"

Just then, Maggie walked back in, obviously eager to talk. "You talkin' about the Weavers, Tiny?" When Tiny nodded, Maggie pulled up a chair and sat right down with her customers. "See, my grandma was a gossip, and she said that after they had their first kid, Benny, Mary started going to church meetings a little more often then everyone else. Know why? 'Cause she was sleeping with the preacher!"

"Maggie!" Kris scolded. "Don't josh!"

"This is just becoming gossip," Milo cut in, sounding displeased. "What we want is information on the kids, not their parents,"

Tiny cleared her throat, thinking back on what she could remember. "My grandad's uncle knew Benny, the oldest kid. Grandad always said that Benny was a wierd kid- super religious, not very smart, and he never wore shoes. Not even in church! Mary always said Benny was 'touched by God', but if that was the case, why didn't she send him to school? Anyway, I don't know much about the others,"

"I do!" Maggie spoke up. "Caleb was an athlete, I remember that. He ran track, and he was the fastest kid around. My grandma knew Lillian, the little girl. She said Lillian tended to her pet rabbits, and she was smart for a five year old,"

"What about the twins, Timas and Thomas?" Asked Bloodgood. "What do you know about them?"

The two women suddenly fell silent. They exchanged glances, and Tiny said, "Well...we don't know much. Mary was ashamed of them or something. The only time those twins ever left the house was to go to school, and they even stopped doing that after awhile. They were shut-ins, basically, and do you know what we think?" She looked to Maggie, who shook her head.

"I hate to talk, Tiny," Maggie answered simply.

"I know, Maggie, I hate to talk, too,"

There was a pause, and Maggie took a deep breath. "Remember how I said Mary was sleeping with that preacher? Well, the twins were sure as heck his kids!"

"Again, that's just gossip!" Bloodgood sounded a bit annoyed. "What about their deaths? What do you know about the fire? Anything?"

Tiny chewed on her bottom lip and wrung her hands. "Well...not much, to be honest. It wasn't an accident, I can tell you that much,"

At this moment, Maggie stood up. "Your steak should be ready, now," she told Milo, walking away.

Spectra chewed on her pencil thoughtfully. Mary's father was unknown, the father of two of her children seemed uncertain, and exact story seemed blurry and full of secrets. Something deeper was going on, that was certain.

Maggie returned with a plate, which she set down before Milo. "Here ya go, Doc! They cooked it up beautiful for you!"

Milo experimentally stuck a fork in the slab of meat, and it gushed with blood almost right away. Dropping the fork down, Milo said in a trembling voice, "M-Ma'am, I told you-"

"Oh, hush!" Maggie pushed the plate closer to him. "It's not bloody, it's juicy! Taste it!"

He stood up suddenly, picking up his breifcase. "A-actually! I think I must be off! Good day, miss!"

Maggie would not be pacified, however, and she cut a slab off of the meat to show Milo. "See? It's fine!"

Milo took one look at that piece of rare, bloody meat and began gagging. "No, no! I have some...pressing business to attend to!" And with that, he stumbled away and slammed the door behind him.

Later that night, after dinner, Spectra stood in the grass of a nearby field and stared up at the stars silently. The others came to join her, and when they did, she saw the fog of Jared's breath in the cold air blow from his mouth, just as hers once did, years ago.

"We are ready," Bloodgood said softly. "Are you?"

"Yes," Spectra answered, and they headed for the forest.

 **Whoo, done! I hope everyone's been liking this so far! Even if you are not familiar with Wick, I at least hope you've been enjoying this.**

 **So, first some updates: I may or may not be participating in another show, but I'll give you guys the final verdict of what's going on in December. The show this year is 'The Addams Family', I hope to get a good role!**

 **Questions, comments, or theories? Let me know in your review!**

 **Until next time, everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

The Woods

The night held a gloomy, foreboding atmosphere as the group of five, with Nightmare now included, headed towards the gate outside the woods. Once they'd reached the rusty hunk of metal, Bloodgood pulled the copy key the SCP had given her out of her pocket and undid the lock.

"Jared," Bloodgood seized the man by the shoulder before he could enter. "I want you to wait here by the gate,"

Jared looked betrayed. "But...why?!"

"You're the only human among us, Jared," she explained with a sigh. "You going in with us could put you in serious danger, especially since the only human contact these children have had has been negative up until now. I think it would be best if you waited here until we've managed to collect the Weavers. You have my number, you can contact me if things get out of hand,"

When Jared simply huffed and sat down by the gate, Bloodgood took that as a cue to leave. "Everyone must stay in contact with once another, so keep your phones on at all times. The children may be aggressive, so be careful, and try to engage them in conversation, if possible," she got Nightmare by the reigns and gave Operetta and Spectra a nod. "Nightmare and I will head towards the bridge, you two head towards the house remains, if you can find them. Good luck," and with that, they parted ways, leaving Jared by the gate.

Jared, however, wanted more involvement, and he disobeyed Bloodgood's orders. Once she was out of sight, he slipped off towards the old water tower.

Nightmare made small, anxious noises at the back of her throat as she and Bloodgood treaded through the thick grass. "Nightmare, calm down," Bloodgood muttered, taking in the surroundings. She shined her flashlight around, scanning the area, and she saw something that caught her interest.

It was a well, though the hole was boarded up. On top of this well was a very old plush rabbit, part of its brown fabric stained with blood. Bloodgood strode towards the well, picking up the rabbit and looking it over. It looked to be homemade, and sewn on the underside was the letter 'L', which made Bloodgood realize who this toy belonged to.

"Lillian?" Bloodgood called out softly, setting the rabbit down. "Lillian, are you around? This is your toy, isn't it?"

There was a silence, and Bloodgood picked the toy up once more. This time, however, she felt a presence, and before she could turn around, there was a whisper.

"You have Honey Bunny,"

Bloodgood turned around, and she was faced with the youngest Weaver child: Lillian. However, since she was a rogue soul, her appearance was very different from that of the photo: her face was a deathly pale green, her skin had light scratches and abrasions, and her eyes were nothing but empty black holes with tear stains dried around the edges. She was small in size (since she'd only been five at her death), but as she levitated off the ground, she was looking Bloodgood directly in the eyes. She wore rabbit pajamas, with two ears sewn on to a hood and a fluffy cotton tail attached to the back of her skirt.

After a moment of silence, Bloodgood came to her senses and acted quickly. "Lillian! Well, I'm certainly glad to meet you, dear!" She offered the toy up, saying, "You can call me Miss Bloodgood, and I've come to-"

Before she could finish, Lillian snatched Honey Bunny out of Bloodgood's hand and tucked the toy beneath her arm, scowling. "Go away!" Lillian hissed, curling her small hand into a fist. "Go away, or I'll hurt you!"

"Lillian," Bloodgood decided it was time to demonstrate her peculiarity, and she popped her own head right off for Lillian to see. "Do you see what I just did? My father is the Headless Horseman, whom I can assume you know. He wasn't quite a rogue soul, like you and your brothers are, but he once behaved very similarly to you," she placed her head back on and extended a hand towards Lillian. "Would you walk with me, Lillian?"

Lillian's look had softened, and she floated towards Bloodgood slowly, tilting her head slightly as she studied this new stranger. A moment passed, and Lillian delicately placed her hand in Bloodgood's.

Bloodgood smiled, gripping the chilly hand and beckoning Nightmare. "Why, you aren't what I was expecting, Lillian, but I'm glad to have earned your trust," She walked along with Lillian hovering beside her, but Lillian released her grip after a few minutes.

"Aren't you scared?" The girl inquired, looking up with those empty black eyes. They looked so out of place on her.

"Why, no, Lillian. You see, I come from a place where there are many others like you, so I am not afraid. You don't plan on attacking me, do you?"

Lillian shook her head. "No, ma'am. You don't want to steal our place,"

Bloodgood contemplated this silently, and she turned back to the girl. "What do you mean?"

"Those big kids come here," Lillian muttered, her face darkening. "They play games in our home. They tease us and take our things, and they wake us when we sleep. 'Cept for Benny, because he sleeps a lot,"

"And do you ever hurt those kids when they come here?"

"Uh-huh. I scream at them, and I chase them away. I don't feel bad if they die, but Benny does. He cries later if he kills one of them, because he's a crybaby!"

Bloodgood was just taking this all in quietly. The situation was more serious than she'd previously thought. "Well, Lillian, what if I told you that when you kill a human, you're taking them away from their families?"

"I don't care," Lillian answered simply.

There it was- lack of empathy. The major roadblock in the way of reforming these children. This was going to be a challenge to overcome, but Bloodgood decided to shift Lillian's focus. "Could you take me to your brothers, dear?"

Lillian didn't answer for a long time, and she just hummed little nursery rhymes to herself as she and Bloodgood strode through the grass. Finally, Lillian answered. "Okay,"

Bloodgood breathed a breath of relief as Lillian led her to the campsite, and Nightmare followed apprehensively.

Elsewhere, Operetta and Spectra were searching for the house remains, but they'd stumbled across an old school bus instead.

"Whoa!" Operetta exclaimed, stepping into the old vehicle. "Would you look at this! I wonder how old it is,"

Spectra followed her friend, and she examined the school bus carefully. "Probably from the twenties. After all, the Weavers' homestead burned down in 1924," She then took note of the names carved into each seat, and realized that they were the children's names. "Interesting. The kids even marked their territory as well,"

After stepping off of the bus, the two women kept up their search. Soon, they reached what looked to be an old house foundation and a stone fireplace- all that was left of the house. Further away was a partially destroyed shed, somewhere that fire hadn't reached.

"You look here," Spectra told Operetta, floating away. "I'll go look in the shed. Call if you need something,"

Spectra reached the shed and, upon finding that the door was gone, went right inside. It was empty except for an old wood stove, which Spectra began to examine. There was nothing interesting, so Spectra was about to leave, but she stopped in her tracks as she turned around.

Right behind her was a horrifying sight: a man, no, another rogue soul stood up on a chair that hadn't been there the first time with a noose around his neck. Spectra recognized him as John Weaver, the children's father, and she realized that no one had considered the fact that the parents would be there as well.

"Mr. Weaver!" Spectra blurted out, but he didn't seem to hear her. John tapped his foot on the chair for a few seconds and stared ahead, and without warning, his foot moved quickly and the chair flew out from under him. There was a sickening crack, and he hung motionless from the ceiling. After a moment, he vanished with the chair and the noose like nothing ever happened.

Spectra stayed rooted in her spot, unable to get over the shock of what she'd jut seen. Didn't John die in the fire?

"He does that every night, same time," a gruff, female voice said. "Can't get over what happened,"

The voice was coming from the doorway, and Spectra turned to look, though she soon wished she hadn't. This rogue soul was horrible- her skin was a hellish red, and her veins were black and prominent against her flesh. Her eyes were just blank white, and her black hair was cut short with the bangs tied back. It took Spectra a moment to figure out who this was- Mary Weaver, the mother.

"So," Mary hovered closer, those blank eyes giving off an aura of aggression. "What are you here for? You another victim of my demon children?"

Spectra just stayed there with her mouth hanging open, and then she cleared her throat. "I-I...no! Mary, right?" When Mary just stared blankly, Spectra continued. "I, and a few others, have come to collect and reform your children. But I didn't know you were here! You can come, too, and-"

"No need," Mary growled, recoiling a bit. "They are demons, even my one pride and joy, Benny. You take them, I care nothing for them,"

"Are you sure?" Spectra asked, though she didn't know how long she could stand looking at this destroyed woman. "You can come with us, and you and your children can be a family again,"

Mary suddenly made a loud screeching noise and flailed her limbs, making Spectra draw back considerably. "No!" Mary barked angrily. "Take them, and leave John and I here. Do not return for us!" And with that, she vanished.

Operetta had just been searching through the rubble of the house when Spectra approached, an unreadable look on her face.

"What'd ya find?" Operetta asked, standing up.

Spectra bit her lip. "I found out...something very dark,"

At this moment, the crunching of leaves was heard. Someone was coming, and both women looked to see who it was.

The boy approaching them stopped, and he tilted his head to the side. His face was concealed behind a smiling, white mask, and his brown hair was brushed neatly against his head. After a moment, he spoke.

"I've never seen ones like you before," his voice was soft, but it held an edge as well. "You don't seem human, like the others before you," he neared them, and though his eyes weren't visible through that mask of his, the women could tell he was looking them over, sizing them up. "Who are you?"

Operetta tried her best to shake off her fear, and she spoke first. "I'm Operetta, and this here's Spectra. We're here on a mission,"

He crossed his arms. "What mission?"

"We're here to help you," Spectra came forward, swallowing hard. "Now, what's your name? Can you tell us that?"

The boy was silent, and he asked, "This isn't a game, is it?"

"No," Spectra answered simply. "This is serious,"

He got a little closer, and he said, "You can call me Tim, though my full name is Timas,"

Operetta thought for a moment, then she realized who he was. "Oh! You're one of the twins?"

"Yeah," Tim nodded. "My brother Tom is by the bridge. If you have something to tell us, then you can tell both of us,"

Spectra nodded understandingly. "I see. Can you take us to Tom?"

Tim nodded once more and began to walk away, gesturing for the women to follow him. When they did, however, he stopped abruptly and turned back to them. "But, I swear, if you hurt him, I'll hurt you,"

"You don't need to worry," Spectra assured gently. "It will be fine,"

As they followed Tim, Spectra and Operetta gave each other concerned glances, but pressed on nonetheless.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Crackers

Tim led his visitors to the rusty old bridge that stretched over a dried-up creek, and he ducked underneath the bridge.

"Tom," Tim called out quietly. "Tom, there's someone here to see us,"

He slipped back out and turned to the women, and right behind him came his twin. Tom was truly a sight: he too wore a mask, but this one had a frown rather than a smile. The mask was also cracked in a way that his left eye was exposed (unlike Tim's), and this eye was brown. He also wore a school uniform, like Tim did, but it was torn in several places. His limbs were mangled and broken, and his legs were so twisted that part of his bone had broken through the skin. As Tom looked at the women, he made a disapproving grunt and clung to Tim's arm.

Tim pried his brother's hand off gently, annoyed. "Stop that! They aren't humans, and they want to talk to us,"

Tom grunted and shuddered, and he turned his attention back to the visitors. After a pause, Spectra cleared her throat.

"Well, Tom, and Tim. We were...curious about you," when the boys kept silent, she continued. "Do you ever leave the forest? Or do you stay here?"

"We stay," Tim affirmed. "We don't want people destroying our home, so we keep them out and stay in. If we let them in, they'll cut down the trees and tear up our old shed!"

Spectra looked to Operetta for help, but when the latter just shrugged, Spectra knew she was the one who had to explain this to them. "But, you see, Tim- your home is being threatened. But not by us! There's this group, called the SCP. They hunt and trap creatures like you and your siblings, and they're after you,"

Tim just scoffed at this. "We can take them,"

"I'm afraid you can't," Spectra sighed. "They have tools to fend you off. All they have to do is throw a cosmic-painted net over you, and there's no escape. And once they've caught you, they'll lock you in a cell for years, and they'll tear up this place while you're shut in a cell,"

Tom made an angry growl, and Tim's hand clenched into a fist. "Well, what do we do!?"

"Come with us," Spectra extended her hand, swallowing nervously. These children were unpredictable, and it upset her that she didn't know what to expect. "We come from a place where there are others like you, and we can help you become part of our society. The world has changed quite a bit since you last saw it. So, what do you think?"

The twins said nothing, and they exchanged glances. Tom snarled and looked away bitterly, and Tim said finally, "I don't know. I'd like to see what everything's like, now, but..." He looked at his brother, who clung to him again and stared up at him. "Tom really doesn't want to,"

"Come on, Tom!" Operetta stepped forward and took the crippled boy's shoulder, shaking it gently. "Wouldn't you rather sleep in a bed than under this bridge? I mean, to each to their own, but-" before she could finish, Tom slapped her hand away rather violently and roared in her face.

Operetta recoiled in shock, and Tim pulled his brother back in alarm. "Tom! Stop! They aren't like the others,"

When Tom made another shuddering sound, Spectra felt prompted to inquire, "Why doesn't he talk, Tim?"

"He doesn't like to," Tim looked back at his brother, who rooted into his shoulder and seemed to hide himself. "He hasn't said a word since..." He trailed off, trying to remember. "I don't even know when,"

Just then, Spectra's phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to check it. Tim saw her do this, and he broke away from Tom to look at what she had. Spectra noticed, and she tilted the screen towards him to show him. "Do you know what this is?"

Tim reached out and experimentally touched the screen. "I don't know what it's called, but sometimes the people who come here have them,"

"It's a phone," Spectra smiled at his curiosity. "Did you have a phone?"

"No. I thought only rich folks had those,"

Tom seemed interested in the phone as well, but he looked away when Spectra tried to show him pictures of her family. "If you agree to come with us, you can see things like this all the time," she turned to Tim, who was staring very intently at the picture of Spectra's mother. "Doesn't that sound cool?"

Tim was silent, then he turned to Tom. "What do you think?" When Tom made a sighing sound, Tim shrugged. "Well...if that 'ess-see-pee' is just going to take us anyway, what can we do?" He took Tom's arm and pulled him close. "But, you need to promise us something,"

"And what's that?" Asked Spectra, feeling a little anxious.

"That those...people don't tear up everything," Tim looked up at the forest around them. "So that we'll have something to come back to," there was a pause, then he added, "And that we'll get a telephone computer like yours,"

Tom didn't seem too pleased at this decision, but he did not protest. As the two women walked through the woods with the twins, Spectra texted Bloodgood.

" _we found the twins. Tim and Tom are with us,"_

Elsewhere in the woods, Jared was beginning to wonder if staying by the gate would have been a better option.

He stopped by a little cluster of rocks and took in the surroundings, shining the flashlight on the trees around him. All was quiet, until a wolf howled in the distance, startling him.

"This was a mistake," Jared muttered, turning back towards the direction of the gate. "I should really go back," he began walking, but this was when he began to hear the sound of scratching a few feet away. It was a digging sound, and it was getting closer. Jared began to pick up the pace, glancing behind him every so often. After a few minutes of running, the scratching stopped, and he slowed his pace slightly.

The gate was only a few feet away, now, and Jared began to head for it, hoping Bloodgood wouldn't know what he'd done. He pulled out his phone to check the time, seeing that it was only 9:00 PM. Strange, it felt like midnight.

Suddenly, the earth before him split open, and out leapt a truly terrifying sight: a mummified, skeleton-like creature. It landed before him, hissing and spitting, its long claws reaching out and swiping at the air. This was all the confirmation Jared needed to know he had to run.

The chase felt long, though it was maybe five minutes. Jared even tried to climb a tree at one point, though this attempt proved to be futile, and he finally ducked behind a bush. The creature leapt in the bush with him, and Jared let out a scream.

"Get away!" He threw his flashlight at the creature, hoping to hit it, but he was filled with dismay when the flashlight missed and the creature picked up the equipment, breaking it between its teeth. Breathing hard, Jared rummaged around in his pockets for something, anything he could fend this thing off with. He knew he'd brought that ghost spray with him, but he'd forgotten which pocket he'd put it in, and he wasn't even sure if what was chasing him was a ghost.

The creature spat the broken plastic and glass out of its mouth, turning back to Jared and staring with those empty eyes. It crept closer, hissing low, and Jared came across something in his pocket that crinkled when he touched it. He realized that it was a package of crackers, which he'd saved from the restaurant, and he hastily threw the package at the creature. It stopped, and turned to examine the crackers. After a moment, it looked up at Jared, but not in a menacing way.

Jared backed away, and after some silence, he took a few steps forward and gingerly picked up the crackers. "Do...do you want some?" He unwrapped the packaging, his hands shaking, and he placed a cracker down in front of the creature. "I'm not gonna eat them,"

As the creature ate the cracker with its large teeth, Jared stood still and quietly examined it. It had a head of thick, black hair, though there didn't seem to be much skin on its body. The nails were long and filthy, and all it wore was a thin strip of cloth draped across its torso and a pair of ripped, dirty red pants. After eating the cracker, the creature looked back up at Jared expectantly and held out its fine-boned hand. It took a moment for Jared to realize that it was asking for more.

He gave it the whole package of crackers, and it began to devour them ravenously. Upon seeing this, Jared inquired quietly, "Are you one of the kids? Do you have a name?"

The creature looked up, stood up on both feet and pointed to itself. "Caleb," it said in a scratchy, yet high pitched voice. "M-my name is Caleb,"

Jared contemplated this quietly, and he realized that this was the middle child, the nine year old. "Oh! Hi, Caleb. I'm Jared, it's nice to meet you. Uh, why are you a skeleton?"

Caleb didn't answer, and he just messily ate up the crackers. When they were gone, he looked back up at Jared. "More?"

"Sorry, that was all I had on me," he expected Caleb to attack him, but when the child just sat perfectly still, Jared relaxed a bit. "But, hey, I can take you somewhere where there's better food to eat than just crackers,"

"Where?" Caleb asked, crawling a little closer. When Jared didn't answer right away, Caleb asked again. "Where is it?"

"Outside these woods," Jared explained, kneeling down to Caleb's height. "Would you like to leave?"

Caleb nodded enthusiastically, jumping up and down. "Yes! Yes, yes!"

Jared gave a laugh, turning away and beckoning Caleb. "Okay, well, come with me!"

Farther away in the woods, Lillian had led Bloodgood to the campsite. The tents, the cabins, and everything else that had made it a campsite were gone, and there was instead an old wooden sign that just read, "CAMP".

Lillian placed her heels on the ground and walked towards the water tower, calling, "Benny! Wake up, Benny!" When there was no response, Lillian turned back to Bloodgood with a look of dismay. "I can't find him!"

Just then, the sound of loud snoring caught Bloodgood's ears, and she turned to see where it was coming from. Behind a nearby bush lay a huge, sleeping figure that Bloodgood hadn't seen before and was rather shocked that she hadn't. She took a few cautious steps towards the figure, and then turned to Lillian.

"Is this him, Lillian?"

Lillian hovered over to look, and she dropped down and stood on his back. "Benny, wake up!" She began to walk up and down his back. "Don't sleep the year away!"

The figure stirred, and Lilian got off of him and waited patiently on the ground. Slowly and drowsily, Benny rose up and swiveled his huge head towards his sister, and he picked her up with his large hand. Benny was huge for a fourteen year old, though he didn't look 'dead' like his other siblings. The only visible injuries he had were scratches on his arms, but other than that he looked completely human. He then noticed Bloodgood, and his eyes narrowed with hostility. When he growled low, Lillian looked at him and tugged on his sleeve.

"No, Benny!" Lillian hopped down and stood protectively in front of Bloodgood. "Not this time! She's not a bad one,"

Benny stopped, and his facial expression changed from angry to sad. "Oh, no!" His lower lip trembled, and he suddenly burst into tears. "You an angel! Y-y-you come to take us to...to the bad place! Oh, I knew it!"

Bloodgood was very surprised to see him act this way, and she walked towards him and hesitantly reached out to pat his shoulder. "I'm no angel, Benny! Whatever made you think that?"

"B-because," he sniffled. "We-we been hurtin' those folks and killin' em- on accident! I swear! That's what the angels do, they take us to the bad place when we do bad things!"

Lillian scowled up at him and crossed her arms. "Oh, stop it, crybaby! She's not an angel, 'cause I saw her pop her head off!"

When Bloodgood demonstrated this, Benny stopped his weeping. He stared at her curiously, and he reached out his hand. "Lemme try," he grabbed the back of her hair in such a way that Bloodgood yelped in surprise.

"Be careful, now!" She barked, but she stilled herself as he practiced pulling the head off and placing it back again. After a few rounds of this, she had to stop him. "All right, that's enough,"

When he didn't stop right away, Lillian had to rebuke him. "Benny! Stop!"

Benny released his hand, and he rocked back and forth on his heels. "So...if ya not here to take us, then why are you here?"

"Well, Benny," Bloodgood pulled out her phone to look at it briefly. "Your siblings will arrive soon, and I will explain once they are all here," she looked back at Benny, who'd wandered over to Nightmare.

"I like your horse," he said enthusiastically, running his grimy fingers through the mane. Nightmare did not enjoy this, and she shook her head wildly and whinnied.

"Hey!" A voice called from the distance, and Bloodgood turned to look. Out of the bushes came Jared, and Bloodgood realized he'd disobeyed her.

"I told you to wait by the gate," Bloodgood crossed her arms, waiting to hear his explanation.

Jared, however, just grinned, and he laughed, "You'll be thanking me soon, miss Bloodgood," he turned and and beckoned to someone, and out of the bushes came Caleb. Caleb walked on all fours, and when he saw Bloodgood, he crawled up next to her and clicked his teeth.

Bloodgood raised an eyebrow, and she bent down to examine the boy. "Interesting," she murmured, studying his features. "And what's your name?"

Caleb, without being prompted, crawled right up on Bloodgood's lap and tried to look through her pockets. "Caleb. Do you have something for me?"

"Not at the moment," Bloodgood gently pried him off of her, displeased. "What made you think I did?"

"I gave him crackers," Jared explained. "I guess all those missing kids had to do was offer some food and they'd get off easy!"

Just then, Spectra and Operetta arrived to the scene, with Tim and Tom close behind. Upon seeing them, Bloodgood silently counted each child and was delighted to find that all of them were there.

"Well, children," she began, clearing her throat. "Now that you're all here, I'd like to explain what exactly is going to happen," when all the attention was focused on her, she took a deep breath. "You're going to come with us, and we'll give you the proper childhood none of you had,"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Air Mattress

"Weavers," Bloodgood began, folding her hands in front of her. "The time has come for you to leave these woods. Your presence here has, unfortunately, become a threat to human existence. Tonight, I will show you to my trailer, and you'll all head off and live at my house until we restore your minds and souls to what they once were. If you refuse, you will be captured by the SCP and locked away for everything that's happened due to your actions. Thus, you've been gathered here tonight to be collected,"

The children were silent, and they just stared at Bloodgood blankly. Finally, after a long pause, Tim turned to his siblings.

"We're leaving,"

When the realization struck Lillian, she became very upset. "No! I don't wanna go! They're gonna take our place!"

Bloodgood sighed. She'd expected this reaction from at least one of them. "I'm afraid you don't have much choice, Lillian. You'll be leaving these woods either way, and coming with us is the better option, in my opinion,"

"You didn't ask me if I wanted to leave!" Lillian crossed her arms, clutching Honey Bunny close. "This is our home, and we're gonna stay here forever and ever!"

"Lillian!" Tim snapped, silencing her. "What good can us staying here possibly do!? They're gonna take us either way! We should just go,"

Lillian's face darkened, and she held Honey Bunny up in Tim's face. "Honey Bunny hates it,"

Tim just shook his head. "Here we go again. Lillian, Honey Bunny's not real! Papa made him out of an old coat, and he's not real!"

There was another long pause, and Lillian began to cry. Upon seeing this, Caleb turned to his brother in a rage.

"Look what you did, Tim!"

"Everyone, calm down!" Bloodgood exclaimed finally. "It will be fine, children. Lillian, don't cry, you'll be all right,"

Somewhat reluctantly, Tim put an arm around his sister and held her close. "I'm sorry, Lillian. That wasn't nice of me,"

Spectra took a mental note of this interaction, and as Lillian stopped crying, Benny stepped forward to speak.

"W-well," Benny wrung his hands nervously, looking at the ground. "Are we...are we gunna fit in? We gunna be fishes outta water in this new world,"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Bloodgood assured. "When your lessons begin, we'll teach you how to properly interact with others in a peaceful, nonviolent manner, and it will do you some good, I think,"

Caleb scurried forward excitedly. "Do we get to eat that new food?"

"Of course you get to eat!" Bloodgood laughed. "Eating will keep your strength up, so it is essential,"

Lillian had calmed done a bit, and she had a question, too. "Will we get to come back?"

Bloodgood's smile faded, and she looked away. "Well...I'm afraid not much of it will be left, darling. You see, the SCP will be tearing up some of the earth here to look for traces of the teenagers who disappeared in these woods. When you come back to it, it may be at least diminished,"

"Then tell them not to do that!" Lillian demanded. "Tell them that we want to come back later!"

"Well," Bloodgood chewed on her lip, looking away. "I'm sure I can arrange...something,"

The children looked at one another, and they looked around at the forest as well. A moment passed, and Tim stepped forward.

"We'll do it. We'll go,"

As Bloodgood gestured for the children to follow her, Tim noticed Tom sitting on the ground, rocking back and forth while growling to himself. "Tom," Tim bent down and helped him up. "Time to go,"

Tom was displeased, but he gripped Tim's arm and they walked out of the woods together.

They walked out into the village streets, illuminated by the streetlights. The children became quite fascinated with this strange, new world, which was so different than what they'd last seen. The cars, the lights, the streets themselves, and even the buildings- it was all so new and wonderful. Bloodgood, however, had to keep them from wandering away, which proved to be especially difficult when Lillian stopped to marvel at a pay phone.

At last, they all arrived at the trailer, which was also something the children had never seen before. "Wow!" Tim exclaimed as he set foot in the trailer, looking around. "It's a house inside a car!"

"Sort of," Jared walked up to the TV, and then he turned to Bloodgood. "Do you mind if I'm back here? My show's on right now,"

Bloodgood waved him off, heading for the driver's seat. "Not at all! There's some rain coming our way, though, so the reception may not be the best,"

As the trailer began to move, Jared sat down and turned the TV on. The TV, like just about anything else at that moment, was also new to the children, and they crept around it slowly.

"What is it?" Benny asked in awe, prodding it with his finger. "It's a moving picture, ain't it?"

"Uh, yeah," Jared gestured for the kids to move out of the way. "See, this baking show is starting, and-"

Lillian gasped at the sight of actual people on the screen. "Are those real people in there!?"

Operetta, who's seated herself at the table, chuckled in amusement. "Why, no, darlin'. It's just moving pictures of real people,"

The children watched as a man on the TV pulled a hot tray out of an oven, and a nearby cook came over to yell at him. "What's happening?" Asked Caleb, perplexed by the scene.

"He's mad because this man didn't use the right cookie sheet," Jared explained, not taking his eyes of the screen. "And, oh- now there's a fight!"

Spectra raised an eyebrow at Jared. "I didn't know you liked cooking shows,"

"I don't usually, but I like this one!" He stifled a laugh as another cook had to rush over and break up the fight between the other two.

As the children watched TV, Tim broke off from his siblings and sat down beside Tom, who clung to him once more. Spectra watched this, and she floated over to talk to them.

"Hello," Spectra called softly, getting their attention as she sat beside them. "How's Tom enjoying this so far?"

Tom grunted and looked away, and Tim seemed to translate for him. "He's still kind of unhappy, I think,"

Spectra nodded understandingly. "Well, you're going to love Bloodgood's house. The attic's been set up just for you and your siblings. I hope you'll like it," there was some silence, and then Spectra spoke up once more. "Tim? When I was walking around, I...I saw your parents,"

At the mention of their parents, Tom growled and hugged his knees with his crippled arms. Tim patted his back, and he turned up to Spectra. "And?"

"Well, I was just wondering- do you have any kind of relationship with them?"

"No," Tim said firmly, taking a small knife and a piece of wood out of his pocket. "None of us do. Papa won't talk to us no more, and Mama hates us and calls us 'The Devil's children'. She thinks the fire was our fault,"

Spectra contemplated this quietly, and she asked, "Was it?"

Tim and Tom exchanged a look, and Tim shuddered. "I don't wanna talk about it," he focused his attention to the piece of wood he'd taken out, and he began to whittle quietly. Tom leaned on his brother's shoulder, watching him work.

Just then, the trailer jolted rather violently, and it came to a stop. Out from the driver's side, Bloodgood opened the door and leapt out. "I'll be right back!"

She was outside for several minutes, and she returned with a panicked look on her face. "We have a flat tire! Hang on while I call a mechanic,"

The children, despite what Bloodgood had just said, were still staring at the TV as she tried to call a mechanic. Lillian, however, lost interest as an advertisement for shower gel appeared, and she turned away.

She climbed up on the couch next to Jared and looked out the window, asking, "Are we almost there?"

"Nah," Jared answered, shaking his head. "Unless Miss Bloodgood can get a mechanic out here at this time of night, we might actually be stuck,"

Jared's prediction was correct, and Bloodgood suddenly began raising her voice while on the phone. "No!" She was saying, sounding exasperated. "You are absolutely sure we cannot get someone out here!?" There was a pause, and she sighed. "All right, fine. I suppose it's good we're in a trailer anyway," Bloodgood hung up, and she walked out into the main area. "Children! We're stopped outside a field, so we can just stay here for the night. I have an air mattress and some sleeping bags already packed for an occasion such as this, and there's also a bed in the next room. Be patient while I sort something out,"

The children just stood around and watched as the adults set up the sleeping bags and inflated the air mattress. After this had been done, Bloodgood was able to figure out who was sleeping where: Tim and Tom would be on the air mattress, Lillian would be sleeping in the bed with Bloodgood, and the others would be in sleeping bags. However, once everyone was settled, it became quite clear that the children had no intention of sleeping.

"Look!" Caleb said enthusiastically, zipping himself inside the sleeping bag and rolling around on the floor. "It's like being a giant worm!"

Spectra sighed as she switched off the light. "The sleeping bag is for sleeping, Caleb. Try to get some rest, okay?"

Caleb wiggled out of the bag, but accidentally ripped the covering with one of his claws. "I broke it!" He exclaimed, almost giddy.

Operetta just laughed, rolling over to her side. "Ah, kids..."

It took a while before Spectra fell asleep, but when she did, she did not dream pleasant dreams. She dreamt of a carousel that spun endlessly before her, and she soon found herself riding it. As it finally slowed down, she looked up, and saw a man she knew all too well walking towards her.

"Hey, again," he whispered, his horrible, rotten teeth showing as he grinned. "Forget about me?"

Spectra tried to get off the horse she was on, only to find that she was tied to it. The man came closer, and she let out a yell. "Get away from me! You don't control me!"

"Spectra?" A voice said, cutting through her fear. "Spectra, wake up,"

Spectra awoke with a start, seeing Tim standing above her, staring at her. She took a second to compose herself, and asked, "What is it, Tim? Everything all right?"

"Look," he said simply, turning and pointing to where the air mattress was.

Caleb was lying on the mattress, his limbs spread out, and Benny came running and flung himself onto the mattress beside his brother. The moment Benny came slamming down, the majority of the air rushed to the side Caleb was lying on, and he was hurled off with the force. He came crashing down on the floor, and he sat up while laughing hysterically. Benny was laughing, too, and so was Tim. Spectra wanted to laugh with them, but she somehow was unable to, especially when she looked at the clock and realized that it was two in the morning.

Yet, there was something rather charming about the scene Spectra had just witnessed. The Weavers were feared, ghostly legends, and here they were: just being children. It was a nice thing to see, and it gave Spectra hope for what was to come.

 **It's finally finished! I've been writing a bunch this week, so I hope you can keep up!**

 **Any questions, comments, or theories so far? Let me know in your review! I'm interested to know what you think.**

 **Until next chapter, everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Bath Time

Morning came.

Bloodgood awoke in her bed, with Nightmare sleeping on the floor beside her. She looked around, remembering where she was, and she jolted a little when she saw a small girl sleeping right next to her. When she realized it was only Lillian, she felt a slight bit of relief.

"Oh, you're finally asleep," Bloodgood murmured with amusement, sitting up. "Not used to sleeping through the night, are you?"

Lillian ignored her and slept on, and Bloodgood got out of bed. Just as she was stepping over the other sleeping children and the adults, there was a knock at the door. She knew who it was before she even opened the door: the mechanic.

"Are you the lady with the flat tire?" Asked the mechanic, gesturing to the wheel.

Bloodgood nodded, stepping out and directing him to the tire in question. "Why, yes. Right this way, sir,"

Within the hour, the mechanic repaired the tire and left with the money he'd been paid, and Bloodgood got back in the trailer to continue the trip. By that time, Spectra had woken back up, and she switched the TV on to watch the morning news.

After hearing the weather forecast, the top news stories, and the lively conversations of the news anchors, Spectra decided it was time to change the channel. She switched to the next channel, which was all cartoons.

"What are you watching?" Asked a sleepy voice. It was Tim, who'd just woken up.

"Some cartoons," answered Spectra, watching as Tim climbed up beside her on the couch. "Ever watch any of these?"

Tim watched the bright, flashing cartoons silently, and concluded finally, "No, I've never seen these before. They're like...moving comic strips?"

Spectra couldn't help but laugh. "Why...yes, I suppose," there was a pause, and she noticed Tim's mask. "Did you sleep with your mask on?"

"Yeah," he nodded, staring at the screen intently. "I always do. So does Tom,"

"Tell me," Spectra turned towards him, and he broke his focus away from the screen to look at her. "Why do you and Tom wear masks?"

Tim was silent, and he turned slowly back to the cartoons. After a pause, he said, "Because we have to. That's why,"

The trailer soon arrived back at Bloodgood's home, and the children were ushered inside. Naturally, they wanted to look at everything and explore- which is what they did. As they looked around at their new environment, they appeared quite tame, but that changed as soon as they were introduced to their new room.

"Hello, what's this?" Tim opened up a door that led to a small bathroom, looking around. "We have our own bathroom? It's fancy,"

Bloodgood nodded, a realization coming upon her. "Ah, yes. It is your very own! In fact, since you're all here, who would like to take a bath first? You're all filthy from being in those woods. A bath would do you some good, I think,"

The children froze in their spots, going silent. After a moment, Jared (who was standing in the doorway) had to laugh.

"It doesn't seem anyone wants to!" He nudged Caleb a bit. "How about you get those nails cleaned, eh?"

Caleb hissed rather suddenly and darted under one of the beds. "No! Don't make me!"

Bloodgood sighed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "All right, well..." She noticed Benny rummaging through the bookcase, and she took his arm gently. "How about you go first, Benny? You are the oldest, after all,"

Benny looked away and twiddled his fingers nervously. "Wuh- Well, I don't..."

"Come on," she led him into the bathroom, showing him to the shower. "Here you go, right here. Let me show you," Bloodgood pointed to the red and blue settings on the dial. "The red is for hot, the blue is for cold. You can pull the lever to turn it on,"

Benny took this in quietly, and he tried it for himself. The water came on with a loud 'whoosh', and it startled him a bit. He stared at the rushing water, then ran his hand beneath the stream. When he pulled back the shower curtain and tried to get right in, Bloodgood had to stop him.

"Oh, no! Benny, dear, this is just like taking a normal bath. You need to undress, first,"

He nodded, understanding, and he began to slip off his overalls. Upon seeing this, Bloodgood began to back out of the room. "All right, then. I'll be shutting the door, now. You call if you need something!"

Just as she shut the door, there was a ringing from downstairs. It was the doorbell to the front door, and Bloodgood just sighed as she listened to it. "Spectra...Spectra, can you get that?"

Spectra nodded, getting up and floating away. "Yes, of course," as she headed down the stairs, Tom followed silently without her knowing.

She opened the door to a woman in a black suit who carried a pen and notepad. Spectra quirked an eyebrow at the sight of her. "Can I help you?"

The woman adjusted the scarf around her head and took a step forward. "My name is Aaleyah, and I am an agent of the SCP who is here to see Nora Bloodgood. Is she around?"

"She's upstairs with the kids, and-" before Spectra could finish, Tom came up behind her with a copy of 'War and Peace' clutched in his twisted hands, and he hurled it at Aaleyah with great force. Aaleyah let out a yell of surprise as the book collided with her head, and Spectra could think of no other option than to grab Tom and keep him as far away from Aaleyah as possible. "I am so sorry! I-I-I can get Bloodgood-"

Aaleyah shook her head, composing herself. "No! No need," she sighed and straightened out her collar, glaring down at Tom. "You get a free pass this time, since they were just apprehended. But you let Miss Bloodgood know that, when I return this following month, if one of those kids attacks me like that again...well, it's over," she slipped her glasses back on, giving Spectra a nod. "Good day,"

As the door closed, Spectra got Tom by the chin to look him in his masked face. "Tom! What you did right now was very dangerous for you and your siblings! Do you understand me!?"

Tom just stared at her, and he turned around silently and headed for the stairs. Spectra sighed, realizing that he couldn't understand her reasoning anytime soon. Nevertheless, she headed up with him towards the attic.

Benny had sucessfully finished his shower, and he soon stepped out fully-clothed with wet hair. Though cleaning a rogue wouldn't help them look any less 'dead', it was still an improvement. As he lumbered out of the bathroom, Bloodgood smiled reassuringly at him.

"Why, you look much better, Benny! See, everyone? Who's next?"

Spectra eyed Tom in the corner of the room, and she took note of his injuries. "Tom? Would you like to go next? I think the water could make those injuries look less...well, bad,"

Tom simply growled at her, and Bloodgood had an idea. "Would it be better if Tim was with you?" When Tom made no indication that he wanted this or not, Bloodgood got Tim's attention. "Tim? Would you mind showering with your brother? I hope this isn't inappropriate,"

"No," Tim answered, grabbing Tom's arm and lifting him up. "We used to take baths togther all the time. Come on, Tom,"

They entered the bathroom, and as Tim shut the door, Tom hovered slowly over to the window and stared out. It was barred and shut, and he put a hand on it and began to tug. Tim saw this, and he gently pried his brother's fingers off the bars.

"Tom, stop," he said firmly, and he led him towards the mirror. Once they were facing it, Tim reached over and removed his brother's mask, and he then removed his own. They hadn't seen their real faces in years, so when the wooden pieces were off, Tim gasped a little. "Look, Tom," he pointed, though Tom was trying not to look at his reflection. "It's us,"

There was a pause, and Tom pulled away with a snarl of contempt. Once undressed and in the shower, Tom was sitting on the shower floor and trying to avoid the stream of water. Tim took the shower head down and tried to spray his brother with it, but Tom made a sort of yelling noise and flicked some of the water in his direction.

"I wish you'd talk to me," Tim said sadly. When Tom looked away, Tim sighed and hung the shower head back up.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Travis Burton

Shortly after Tim and Tom had finished bathing and had left the bathroom, Bloodgood decided that the two youngest children were next.

"All right," she got Caleb and Lillian's attention by muting the TV show they were watching. "Which one of you is next?"

Lillian pouted and took the remote back, un-muting the TV. "No!"

"Is it really that important?" Spectra asked Bloodgood in a hushed tone. "I mean, maybe they should wait until they've settled in a bit,"

Bloodgood looked back at the children, and when she saw Caleb picking absent-mindedly at the couch with those horrible nails of his, she made her decision.

"No, no," Bloodgood tried to pick Caleb up. "Now means now! Off to the bath with you!"

Caleb suddenly began to writhe and squeal, and he squirmed out of Bloodgood's grip and leapt the floor. Before she could catch him, he scurried off to a corner and began to scratch on the wood floor, as if he were trying to dig a hole.

Bloodgood turned to where Lillian had been sitting, only to find out that she was gone. "Oh, now where's Lillian!?" There was a giggle, and Bloodgood looked up, gasping in surprise when she saw that Lillian was clinging to the ceiling.

"Try to catch me!" Lillian snickered, zipping down from the ceiling and darting behind the bookshelf.

Jared, who was closest to the bookshelf, pushed it back to get to Lillian, only to find that she was gone. Before he could wonder where she went, Lillian tackled him seemingly out of nowhere and held him to the floor.

Bloodgood had finally had enough. "All right!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Fine! Be filthy and germ-ridden! See if I care!" With that, she stormed out and slammed the door behind her.

Spectra almost went after her, but she decided against it. Instead, she turned to Lillian and tapped her shoulder. "Lillian? Tell me, why don't you want to wash up?"

Lillian grabbed the ears of her hood, pressing it against her head while looking at the floor. After a pause, she admitted, "Don't like water,"

"You don't like water? Well, that's a shame. But, hey," Spectra pulled a little packet of wipes out of pocket, and she crinkled that wrapping to get Lillian's attention. "I've got some makeup wipes here, you can at least clean your face," she pulled a wipe out for Lillian to see, and then handed it to her. "You wanna try?"

Lillian examined the wet towelette, and she touched it to her face. She hesitated a bit, and then began to gently rub her face. "It smells funny," her skin brightened a bit after she'd cleaned herself, but it didn't make the scratches disappear.

"Okay, then!" Spectra turned to where she'd last seen Caleb. "Now, for you, Caleb, and-" she stopped, realizing he was gone. "Where's Caleb?"

Tim, who was watching TV, gestured to one of the beds. "In there,"

When Spectra saw the fluff leaking out of the mattress and the fact that the blanket had no visible lump, she put the pieces together rather quickly. "Oh, Caleb!" Spectra groaned, hovering over and lifting up the blanket. "Did you honestly burrow into the mattress!?"

Caleb didn't respond at first, but he popped his head out after a moment, his teeth full of fluff. "I like it!"

Specta grimaced. "You...oh, well. Maybe Bloodgood won't notice. Anyway, Caleb, hwy don't you want to take a shower?"

"Because," he burrowed back into the mattress. "It's not fun for me,"

Jared overheard this, and he got an idea. "Spectra? Do you think Bloodgood would mind if I took Caleb out in the yard for just a second?"

Spectra raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"You'll see," Jared grinned, beckoning Caleb. "Come on, Caleb!"

A little while later, Spectra walked into Bloodgood's office, clearing her throat. "Ms. Bloodgood?"

Bloodgood sighed heavily, turning around. "Oh, Spectra. What's the matter with me? I've spent years teaching monster students of all races and species, but I can't even handle five dead children! What are we-"

"Bloodgood-" Spectra cut in. "Actually, Lillian wouldn't take a bath because she has a fear of water, so I helped her clean with a makeup wipe for now. And Jared's taking care of Caleb in the yard,"

"Whatever do you mean?" Bloodgood looked very perplexed. "Why are they outside?"

Spectra opened up the blinds and pointed to the yard, where Jared was spraying Caleb with a garden house. Caleb seemed to be enjoying it, as he leapt up and chased the stream of water wherever it went, all while getting sprayed down. Bloodgood's mouth fell open at the sight.

"Why...I don't believe it! Maybe this won't be so hard after all!" She and Spectra exchanged a smile, and then Bloodgood reached for a folder. "Were you planning to interview the children later?"

Spectra shrugged. "If they're up to it. I'd understand if they just wanted to settle in a bit, but I could do it when Caleb's done cleaning up,"

"Well, in either case," Bloodgood dug around in her folder, pulling out a photograph. "I'd like them to give details on one specific missing boy. His name is Travis Burton, and he's probably the most well known teenager who vanished in those woods, since he was a rather popular interet personality. The SCP wants answers about him in particular, due to his popularity,"

Spectra took the photo and studied it quietly. Travis was quite thin, with black hair and wide-rimmed glasses. He wore a red jacket, and he was posing with his flashlight with a grin on his face. It seemed to be some profile picture. "I guess I could just show them the picture and ask," Spectra shrugged. "Maybe they'll remember him,"

About an hour later, Caleb's 'bath' had already finished, and the children were gathered around the TV in the attic while Spectra watched them quietly. She was just quietly taking everything about the kids in- the way Lillian preferred to lie on the floor rather than the couch, how Benny had a habit of poking the screen every few minutes, and how Tom seemed to be very clingy to Tim. Tim didn't seem to mind the fact that Tom appeared to be strangling his arm- maybe he was used to it.

Once the cartoon they'd been watching ended, Spectra chose that moment to talk. "Kids? Can we talk for a moment? I have to show you something," she sat down with them and pulled out the picture of Travis Burton. "Do you know him?"

The children all stared at the picture silently, until Benny said, "He...he looks like someone I saw once,"

"Yeah," Tim agreed, taking the picture and looking it over. "He looks familiar. I think I remember him. I think he was trying to take our picture,"

Spectra nodded. "Okay, then. What I want to know is if you..." She trailed off for a moment, then cleared her throat. "If you hurt him at all,"

"Hurt him?" Tim shook his head. "We don't know what happened to him. He disappeared during the night while we were chasing him. We thought he went home,"

"Well, he never went home, Tim," Spectra explained. "He's been missing for a few years, now,"

The children looked rather suprised to hear this, and they murmured quietly amongst themselves. Tom, however, began to make violent chopping motions with his hands, and Spectra asked, "Yes, Tom?"

Tom pointed to the picture, and he smacked his hand on the floor. He paused, and then he made a sound with his mouth that sounded like something being smacked.

"Did..." Spectra phrased her next question carefully. "Did you...do it, Tom?"

Tom shook his head and let out a groan, and he shuffled away in an irritated fashion. Tim turned back to Spectra, shrugging. "Until he talks, we may never know. Sorry about that,"

Spectra looked back at the photo, sighing and tucking it away.

 **Done, finally! Sorry I haven't updated recently, I've just been busy with family matters and school. Speaking of which, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, if you celebrate!**

 **Questions, comments or theories? Let me know in your review!**

 **Until next chapter, my friends!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

The Appointment

The rest of the afternoon consisted of the children exploring their new environment a bit more. They'd grown bored of watching TV, and they wandered around the house while Spectra kept a close eye on them. However, Spectra used the time wisely, and she began to record the children without them knowing. It was part of her project, and she wanted to make sure she'd gotten every good moment she could on tape.

Just as Spectra was silently recording Lillian while she walked up and down the stairs a few times, the clock had turned to 5:30 PM. It was time for dinner.

Bloodgood wasn't sure what to prepare, since she had no idea what the children preferred to eat. She finally ended up making vegetable soup with leftover breadsticks from an earlier occasion, and it was ready within a few minutes. Yet, the real challenge was still ahead: how was she going to get the kids to all sit quietly at the table?

"Children!" Bloodgood entered the living room, where Tim and Tom were going through the bookcase. "Your dinner will be ready to eat soon. Can you go fetch your siblings, Tim?"

Tim was silent for a few seconds, then he stood up. "All right, I guess," he disappeared up the stairs, and returned momentarily with Benny, Caleb and Lillian.

It took a while for the children to realize what Bloodgood wanted them to do, and once they'd finally sat down, Tim explained their confusion.

"We never really used to eat together," Tim began as he soaked some of the bread in broth to make it manageable for Tom. "Papa used to make Tom and I eat outside, and Lillian liked to eat in her bedroom,"

"I liked it better than that dirty table," Lillian mumbled, wrinkling her nose at the carrots in the soup. "I don't like carrots!"

Bloodgood just sighed, pushing the plate of breadsticks towards her. "Well, just eat around them. Do the rest of you like it all right?"

They didn't give a direct answer, but they seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. Caleb, however, appeared to be having trouble eating the bread.

"Do you need help?" Inquired Spectra, beginning to reach for him. Caleb just shook his head.

"No," he answered simply, setting the bread down. He reached up and got a hold of hs jaw, and with a tug, he unhinged it with a sickening snap. The adults in the room just sat in shocked silence as they watched Caleb place the whole piece of bread in his dangling lower jaw, which he popped back into place and proceeded to chew.

This apparently didn't phase his siblings, as they continued eating while the adults couldn't get over what they'd just witnessed.

The sun went down, and it grew dark very quickly. Spectra recorded the children a bit more, but they went back to watching TV and they weren't doing anything interesting. The time turned to 8:30, and Bloodgood decided that it was time to put the children to bed.

"I'm afraid that it's time to shut that off," Bloodgood announced, walking in and shutting the TV off. "You have to go to sleep for the night,"

The children (all except for Benny, who'd been asleep for about an hour already) were a bit upset to hear this. "But why!?" Lillian argued, crossing her arms angrily. "We can stay up 'till the sun without getting sleepy!"

Bloodgood nodded understandingly, smoothing over some of the beds. "I know that, Lillian. However, you have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, and you need your sleep to keep your energy up!"

"Doctor appointment?" Tim tilted his head quizzically. "What doctor?"

"Dr. Milo Wing is his name," Bloodgood answered, pulling out the other part of the trundle bed. "He studies the undead, and that includes ghosts, zombies, mummies, and rogue souls like you! You'll see him tomorrow morning at nine, so I don't want you staying up late," she pulled back the covers of the bed Caleb had burrowed into, and she gasped. "What is-!? Ah, I'll deal with this tomorrow," she walked out the door, reaching for the handle. "Goodnight, and don't think about turning on that TV!"

When the door had been shut, Caleb turned to Lillian. "Do you remember how to make the pictures quiet?"

"No," Tim said firmly, taking the remote away from Caleb. "We need our energy, so get in bed,"

Though reluctant, his siblings obliged, and Tom walked over to the trundle bed and stood by it expectantly.

Tim joined his twin, and he gestured to the larger part of the bed. "You can have that part if you want," As the two climbed in bed, Tim inquired, "It's not so bad here, right?"

Tom just growled and stuck his head beneath the pillow, ready to sleep for the night.

Morning came, and Lillian was the first to wake up. She crawled out of her bed, looked around, and hovered away to the door. For a few minutes, she floated around the upstairs of the house with Honey Bunny pressed close, until she heard a hushed voice.

"Yes, Mr. Ashbrooke," it was Spectra. "I got some footage of the kids and I wrote a brief essay about them last night. We're going to a doctor's office today, and maybe Dr. Wing can tell us their exact causes of death," there was a pause, and Spectra sighed. "Yeah, well...the kids won't tell us what happened,"

Lillian walked slowly down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to watch Spectra talk on the phone.

"Yeah, I'll send that to you tomorrow," Spectra continued, sipping her coffee. "All right," she answered back after a moment. "Goodbye for now," She hung up, and that was when she noticed Lillian. "Hello, there! I didn't know you were up!"

Lillian's attention focused on Rhuen, who was sitting on the table enjoying some peanuts. "What is that?"

"That's my ferret, Rhuen," Spectra explained, scratching the animal behind the neck. "I bet he'd love it if you'd pet him," as began to experimentally pet Rhuen, Spectra asked, "Did you have any pets?"

"Yes," Lillian answered quietly. "I had a rabbit named Cotton, but he died. It was a long time ago,"

Spectra looked at her sympathetically. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," there was a silence, and Spectra stood up. "Would you like something to eat?"

Lillian nodded. "Okay, Miss Spectra,"

 _Miss Spectra._ It sounded so strange. Nevertheless, Spectra hovered away to prepare something.

A few hours went by, and soon the children were in the car on their way to the doctor's office. As they entered the foyer of the building, Tim noticed the two glass doors with different names.

"'Melissa Burton: Pshyciatrist'?" Tim read out loud in confusion. "Is this who we're going to see?"

Bloodgood shook her head, chuckling. "No, no, Tim. We're going through this door to see Dr. Wing, not Dr. Burton,"

They headed on in, where they were greeted by a strange looking woman at the front desk. She appeared to be Asian, with gray-blue skin and dark circles beneath her eyes. As the group approached, the woman looked up slowly.

"Are you here to see Doctor Wing?" She said slowly. She sounded sleepy.

"Why, yes," Bloodgood smiled, gesturing to the children. "We're here with the Weaver children. How are you today, Kaya?"

Kaya began to slowly tap on her keyboard. "I am fine, thank you. Have seat, please, Milo will see you shortly,"

As they filed into the waiting room, Spectra had to glance back at Kaya once more. "Who is she? What is she?"

"Another rogue soul," Bloodgood explained, taking a seat. "She's been rather tame for a while, now, but when she was rogue?" She shuddered a bit. "Why, Kaya was worse than the children are now!"

Spectra took this in quietly. This meant that there would be hope- well, of course there was hope. Spectra herself had once been like that, years ago. But it seemed nothing more than a memory, now. It was almost like a faint dream that one barely remembers after waking.

"Wait," Jared seemed surprised to hear this. "You're telling me that Dr. Wing reforms rogue souls?"

Bloodgood shook her head. "Oh, no. Kaya wasn't reformed by Milo himself, but by his assistant. He's been reforming two more as well," she suddenly had a thought. "I wonder where they are right now?"

In another corner of the room, Tim noticed Tom staring very intently at a magazine. "What do you have, Tom?" Tom looked up briefly, and then back down at the pictures. Tim leaned over to look, and he gasped. "Tom! What would Mama think!?"

When Tom made a sort of chortling noise, Benny had to take a look as well. "Oh, Lord!" He exclaimed, snatching the paper from his brother. "What you doing with this?! It's a naked woman!"

Tim tried to justify the picture. "She's wearing underwear,"

"No!" Benny barked, shoving the magazine back into the rack. "Nasty, nasty pictures!"

Just then, the door opened, and a young man holding a clipboard stepped out. "Hi, there," he greeted, smiling at everyone. "Are you the Weavers?"

Bloodgood cut in before any of the children could answer. "Why yes, they are," she shook the man's hand, eyeing his name tag. "And you are Duncan?"

Duncan nodded. "Yeah, that's me. Are any of the kids ready to see the doctor?"

As the children talked amongst themselves to see who would go first, Spectra inquired, "Are you the assistant who is reforming Kaya?"

"You heard?" Duncan grinned, glancing back out towards the front desk. "She's doing really well so far. It's been about three months already, and she's made so much progress. The others have, too,"

At that moment, Tim stepped forward with Tom at his side. "Tom and I will go. We're allowed to be in there at the same time, aren't we?"

"Yeah, sure," Duncan smiled and nodded once more, but Spectra could tell that something was off. His body language was indicating that he was nervous about something, as he was shifting from one foot to the other. However, the small can of ghost repellent sticking out of his pocket was what really caught her attention.

Duncan opened the door to lead the twins to the examination room, but he stopped suddenly and turned to the others that were still waiting. "Oh, and while the rest of you are waiting, you can meet Tosh and Emily. They're the two kids I'm taking care of right now, and they're just like you. They're playing video games in the other room right here," he gestured to the door beside the coat rack, and he turned back to the hallway. "It shouldn't take long,"

"Would it be best if I came with them?" Asked Bloodgood, stepping forward. She'd noticed Duncan's anxiety as well.

"Yes!" Duncan nearly blurted the word out. "Yes, let's go. Dr. Wing is waiting!"

When they'd left and the door was shut, Spectra glanced towards the door again. "Hey, kids," she spoke up, heading for the door. "Would you like to meet those other children?"

"No," answered Lillian firmly, focused totally on the train she was playing with. "I'm busy,"

Caleb and Benny didn't seem to care either way, so Spectra turned and knocked on the door.

From the inside, a loud, shrill voice shrieked, "Intruder!"

Spectra jolted, and there was a very long pause that followed. A minute passed, and the door opened. Standing there was a young girl who looked to be around the age of ten, with platinum blond hair tried back in a braid. She looked rather sullen, and she asked, "What do you want?"

"A-are you Emily?" Spectra asked, a bit surprised at the girl's appearance.

"Yeah," Emily took a look at the other children in the waiting room, and she headed for them. "Who are they?" Before anyone could say anything, she walked straight up to Caleb and looked him over, crossing her arms. "Your nails are gross,"

Caleb looked down at his nails, and then up at Emily. After a pause, he poked her with one.

"Eww!" She shook herself, irritated. "You're wierd!"

"Naughty children!" A voice scolded, and out of the room came a strange, deformed woman in a wheelchair. Her limbs appeared to be made of plastic, and a shiny mask hid her face. She wore what was clearly a wig as she scooted forward in the wheelchair. "Emily, how will you ever get a modeling session and a movie deal if you act like such a neet!? Hey, did you know my best friend died because she was acting like a neet? Pretty cool! Anyway, did you also know that in the nineteenth century that..."

She rambled on and on about complete nonsense, and Emily began ignoring her. "Are you guys dead, too?"

Benny looked away and twiddled his thumbs nervously. "I-I guess so. We don't really..."

"Hey, Emily," Jared cut in before things could get more awkward. "Do you think you could show the boys how to play one of those board games over there?" He made a motion towards the stack of board games in the corner.

Emily looked towards the games, and she shrugged. "Fine, we can play some chess. I'll go get it,"

As she headed away, Spectra tugged on Jared's sleeve. "Do you think they should be playing with her? She's kind of bossy,"

"It's fine," Jared waved her off. "They'll be okay. I think this is good for them, right?"

The woman in the wheelchair scooted right up to Jared, grabbing his wrist and nearly yelling, "Drop your drawers, please, sir! It's the greatest day!"

Jared let out a yell, standing up quickly and moving to another section of the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Questions

 **Warning: certain materials in this chapter may disturb some readers. You have been warned.**

The door to the examination room opened, and Duncan ushered the three visitors inside.

"Just have a seat right here," Duncan gestured to the row of chairs against the wall. "Dr. Wing will be with you shortly,"

As he left, Tim looked up at the room around him. "I've been to the doctor's, but it didn't look at all like this," he remarked, and then he noticed a computer in the corner. "What's that?"

"A very important piece of equipment," Bloodgood explained curtly, opening up a nearby magazine. "It's best you leave it be, Tim,"

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and in walked Milo Wing, tall and thin with a clipboard in his clawed, humanoid hands. He looked at each twin, studying each quietly before extending a hand towards both.

"Why, hello, there," Milo greeted in a gentle voice, smiling. "Are you Tim and Tom?"

Tim shook the doctor's hand, staring up at him and tilting his head slightly. "Are you some kind of bug?"

"Tim!" Bloodgood hissed, but Milo just laughed it off.

"It's all right, Nora," he adjusted his glasses, chuckling warmly. "I am, in fact, a praying mantis, though my size and IQ made it possible to pursue a medical career despite my species!" He tried to shake hands with Tom, but Tom ignored him. "All right, then. Who would like to be examined first?"

Tim and Tom exchanged glances, and Tim stood up. "I'll go first,"

As Tim pulled himself up on the table, Milo began to look over his clipboard. "So, Timas Weaver- tell me a bit about yourself,"

"I like to wittle and carve things," Tim folded his hands on his lap, staring ahead as Milo scribbled down notes. "I made my mask, and I made Tom's too,"

"Really, now?" Milo set his clipboard down and pulled up a chair. "You're very talented, Tim. Did you ever sell any of your carvings or put them on display?"

Tim shook his head. "I didn't sell any. I wanted to enter a horse I made into an art contest at school, but that was when Mama pulled Tom and I out,"

"Why did you get pulled out?" Milo inquired. "Did something happen?"

"Mama said she didn't want us talking to girls," Tim expained. "But I really think she didn't want people to see us,"

Milo took this in quietly, and he stood up with a sigh. "Okay, then. Let me look you over, now, Tim,"

Tim stilled himself as Milo felt along his arms and his ribs, and Tim moved away after a moment. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just physically examining you," Milo pulled away, eyeing the mask. "You don't seem to have any indication that you were in a fire. Would you mind removing your mask?"

"No!" Tim said quickly, gripping the sides of the mask. "No, please don't take it off! I don't want to,"

Milo was rather surprised, but he stepped back nevertheless. "That's fine, you don't need to. Tell me: did you have any health conditions or disabilities while you were alive?"

"Well," Tim tried to think. "A long time ago, I was at school and we were running around in the courtyard during gym class, and I couldn't breathe all of a sudden. The school nurse told Mama that she thought I had 'asthma', but Mama didn't tell the doctor about it,"

There was pause, and Milo scribbled that down. "I see. Maybe that explains why..." He trailed off, and after a moment, he cleared his throat. "Well, you're done for now, Tim. Tom, you're next,"

Tom sat perfectly still for several moments, and he slowly rose up out of the chair, twitching with every movement. He sat down on the table, and Milo focused the attention on him. "How are you today, Tom?"

When Tom just grunted in response, Tim had to clarify. "He can't talk, sir,"

"Can't talk?" Milo sounded surprised. "Is he mute? Deaf?"

"He just doesn't like to," Tim answered in a quiet voice.

Milo turned back to Tom, and he began to examine the injuries. "Dear God," he muttered, shaking his head slowly. "Who would do this? Tom, these look awful!"

Tom seemed to make himself smaller as Milo looked him over, but when the doctor tried to remove his mask, Tom let out a shriek and slapped his hand away.

When this happened, Bloodgood stood up quickly. "I think it's time to take these two back to the waiting room. Who should I send in next?"

"Whoever is ready," Milo looked a bit shaken as took more notes. "I apologize, Tom. I shouldn't have tried to remove your mask without your permission,"

Back in the waiting room, Emily had gotten bored with trying to teach her new companions chess, and she began to tell them various stories about her past life as well as her current one. Caleb, Benny, and Lillian all appeared interested in what she had to say, and they listened contently while the woman in the wheelchair (who they'd learned was named Shaye) occasionally interjected into each story with a comment or a chuckle.

"And then," Emily grinned as she noticed her listeners' anticipation growing as she told her story. "I told that dumb girl she could suck it, and she slapped me, so I bit her!"

Spectra, who'd been listening from her chair, finally felt she had to cut in. "Emily," she set her magazine down and floated over to the girl. "I'd really like you not to use that language, please,"

Emily just glared up at Spectra. "You're not my mom,"

Before things could get even more uncomfortable, a voice called out from the smaller room, "She's still a grown up,"

The other children turned to the direction of the voice, and out stepped a small Asian boy, who seemed to be around five. Like Kaya, his skin was a gray-blue and he had dark circles beneath a his eyes. Though he wore a pair of black pants, he was shirtless.

"What's your name?" Asked Spectra sweetly, hoping to change the subject.

The boy looked up at Spectra, blinking a few times. "Toshio," he answered after a moment. "My mother works at the desk,"

"Why are your eyes so small?" Asked Lillian in a rather loud tone.

Toshio looked at her with much contempt. "Why are yours so big?"

Before she could answer, the door opened. "Tim and Tom are done," it was Duncan. "Who's next?" This was when he noticed Shaye, and he asked, "How are you doing, Shaye?"

"My new hip feels fantastic!" Shaye bounced up and down in her wheelchair. Her legs flopped around aimlessly as she did this.

Duncan just laughed. "Yes, I know you love your new hip! Who's next on the list?" He glanced down at the list, and then back up. "How about Benny? You wanna go next?"

Benny rose up nervously, and Bloodgood beckoned him down the hall. "Come on now, Benny. You'll be fine,"

Once in the examination room, Milo was perplexed by Benny's appearance. "Benny, you don't look dead at all!"

Benny looked down at his shoes as he swung his large feet on the table. "Oh...sorry 'bout that,"

Milo couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "Oh, it's quite all right, Benny. Hold still, I need to take a look at you,"

Once again, Benny seemed almost alive during the examination, until Milo made a chilling discovery.

"Dear God, your neck!" Milo's mouth was agape as he felt along Benny's spine. "It's all busted!"

"Yeah, I fell," Benny answered calmly. "I was climbing the water tower, and I lost my balance,"

"Why were you climbing the water tower?"

Benny fell silent, and he looked away. "To get away from the fire," he said finally, a little quiet.

Milo wrote this down, and he took a deep breath. "All right then, Benny. Did you have any health problems while you were alive?"

"No, sir,"

"That's good. Did you do well in school?"

"Oh," Benny shook his head. "Mama took me out after fourth grade,"

Bloodgood heard this, and she couldn't help but groan. "That explains some things," she muttered.

"Why did she do that?" Milo inquired.

"She wanted to put my brothers in school," Benny explained. "And someone had to stay behind to shop and keep up the land, because Papa didn't like to go outside. And sending everyone to school was too expensive,"

Milo nodded slowly, and he and Bloodgood exchanged a look. "Well," Milo stood up, setting his notepad down. "Giving you a proper education is a must!"

Next was Caleb. He came crawling in on all fours, looking around the room with much curiosity. "This way Caleb," Bloodgood guided him towards the table. "You'll go right up there,"

As soon as Caleb was up on the table, Milo was taken aback by the boy's appearance. "Why, you are literally skin and bones!"

"Yeah," Caleb nodded, giggling. "Look what I can do!" He unhinged his jaw like he'd done earlier, and Milo recoiled in shock.

"Sweet Jesus!" Milo gagged, having to look away. He soon composed himself, and he cleared his throat. "Caleb...p-please put that back into place so I can continue your examination,"

Once Caleb had obliged, Milo took a closer look at him. "It doesn't seem like you were burned," he observed. "What happened? Do you mind talking about it?"

Caleb rocked back and forth slowly, and he answered quietly, "I don't wanna talk about it,"

"Okay, that's fine," Milo took note of this. "Is there anything you enjoy doing?"

"I like to run," Caleb perked up a little. "A-and I used to run track,"

Milo smiled at him, nodding. "That's great! Did you ever win anything?"

"Yeah! My team won during the summertime, and I got a trophy,"

"Good for you!" Milo wrote this down. "I think that's all I need from Caleb. Is Lillian next?"

Sure enough, Lillian was next. She was rather agreeable at first, but that changed when Milo tried to unzip her pajamas.

"No!" Snapped Lillian angrily, pushing Milo away. "Don't take it off!"

Once again, Milo couldn't argue, so he just sighed and continued to study her face. "The eyes are sunken in," he mumbled to himself, writing down notes. "Interesting...Lillian, it says here on this paper Bloodgood gave me that you have a fear of water. Why is that?"

"I just don't like it," Lillian insisted, kicking her feet absent-mindedly. "Can I go now?"

"Can't you tell me about yourself, Lillian?" Milo noticed Honey Bunny, and he pointed to the small toy. "What about your rabbit? What's his name?"

Lillian protectively pressed Honey Bunny close to her. "His name is Honey Bunny. Papa made him for me,"

"Well, I'm sure you take good care of him," Milo nodded, and he turned to Bloodgood. "She's not very talkative. Should we end it here?"

Bloodgood stood up, sighing. "I suppose. I'll take Lillian back to the waiting room, and then we can discuss the children further,"

After leading Lillian back to the waiting room, Bloodgood got Spectra's attention by tapping her. "I'm going to talk with Dr. Wing for a few minutes. Can you tell the children to wait for just a moment?"

"I'll think they'll be fine," remarked Spectra, watching as Caleb quietly studied the wheels on Shaye's chair. "Would you mind if I listened? Jared can watch them,"

Now in Milo's office, Spectra and Bloodgood waited patiently as Milo got all his notes together.

"Okay," began Milo, taking a breath. "According to my observations and what these children have presented, I have come to conclusions about what their causes of death may have been. I'll begin with Tim," he flipped to those notes and cleared his throat. "Tim's possible cause of death was asthma due to smoke inhalation, while his twin, Tom, was clearly beaten with a heavy, blunt object several times. Tom also seems to suffer severe mental trauma as well as polio. Benny's neck was clearly broken from a high fall, while Caleb..." He trailed off, staring at the paper before him. "I can't figure out what happened to Caleb. He has clearly not been burned, so I can't think of any explanation for his appearance at the moment. Lillian was most likely drowned, due to her facial appearance and fear of water,"

The two women were silent after hearing this, and it was Spectra who spoke first. "Are...are there any specific actions you would like us to take?"

"At the moment?" Milo thought about it. "You both seem to be doing a fine job. Don't worry, they will improve. Just look at the rogue souls Duncan is raising: why, three months ago, Kayako couldn't even speak clearly! And here she is- answering my phone calls and working a computer like nobody's business! I trust Duncan, and I trust the two of you. The worst that could happen is another situation like Samara's,"

There was a pause, and Bloodgood raised an eyebrow. "Samara? Who is Samara?"

Milo's smile faded, and he slowly set his notepad down. "I...wasn't going to bring this up, but...I suppose I should, as a cautionary tale," he folded his hands on the desk, looking down at them. "Three years ago, the SCP caught a rogue soul girl named Samara. She'd been killing humans for years through a sort of 'cursed tape', and she was finally captured. The SCP entrusted her to my services, and I assigned an assistant named Rodney Chase to look after her and redeem her. I thought I could trust Rodney, but I was wrong,"

"Well, what happened?" Asked Spectra, feeling concerned.

"You see," Milo puffed out a sigh, closing his eyes sadly. "Rodney had access to a potion known as 'Spiritus Sanctus', the only potion that can put a rogue soul to sleep for at least an hour. About a year into Samara's stay, Rodney drugged her with the potion, and he took advantage of her, all while taking pictures and bragging to his friends about it on social media. Before I could handle the situation myself, however, Samara took matters into her own hands and strangled Rodney to death with an extension cord after she saw the pictures. After that, she ran off into the unknown, and we haven't seen her since,"

Spectra thought over what she'd heard quietly, and she shook her head slowly. "Wow. I can't...I can't believe a human could be so evil!"

"Neither could I," Milo admitted. "That's why I'm glad I can trust you two women and Duncan with these rogue souls. They really are amazing creatures, but everyone's just so afraid that they won't take the time to understand them. It's sad, really,"

"That's what I've been studying all my life," Bloodgood stood up, preparing to leave. "It has been my goal for creatures like rogue souls to be heard and understood. That's why this is so important to me. I hope you find Samara someday,"

As they walked back into the waiting room, the door to the lobby was found to be wide open, and a voice began to shout.

"A horse!" It was Shaye. "My kingdom for a horse! Onward!"

Shaye came charging in from the lobby, with Caleb pushing her along at high speeds. Jared came rushing after them, calling, "No! Caleb, stop!"

Caleb released the wheelchair's handle, and Shaye went crashing into the wall. This didn't seem to hurt her, and she just laughed.

As Bloodgood ran to attend to the situation, Spectra just sighed heavily. "We have a lot of work to do,"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

A New Lesson

The weeks passed, and the children's behavior only improved slightly. Their sleeping patterns had become more controlled, but other than that, they were adapting to their new environment in mostly negative ways. They'd learned exactly how to push Bloodgood's buttons, and they'd also learned how to get away with it, too.

Tom was very capable of violent outbursts, which usually included throwing things, screaming and hiding somewhere in the house where it would take a long time to find him. Lillian behaved very similarly, though Spectra discovered that the only way to get her to calm down was to distract her with something, like a toy or the TV. The only known way to get Tom to stop his tantrums was to wait it out or get Tim to stop him, and sometimes Tim would get tired of babysitting his brother and ignore him instead.

A lot of trouble was caused by Caleb as well, though he rarely had outbursts like Tom and Lillian did. Caleb was more susceptible to mischief rather than violence: he would climb up the walls, chew on the edge of the table when no one was watching, and pull random items out of the kitchen cabinets to turn them into playthings. He especially liked to dig through bags of flour and sugar, much to Bloodgood's dismay.

Benny didn't cause problems very often, but when he did, the issue was very brief and he'd always wind up sobbing uncontrollably. Every time he broke down, someone would always have to comfort him until he'd stopped. Tim, on the other hand, seemed to always be in some kind of mood, and he always just sat in the middle of the living room and read books away from everyone else. The household had become a circus.

"What am I going to do!?" Bloodgood sighed, exasperated as she and Spectra sat in the office. "Thanksgiving is in two days, you and Jared are going to see your families, and my father is going to have to deal with these...these...monsters!"

Spectra just reached over and patted her former principal's shoulder. "Don't talk like that, Ms. Bloodgood! Look, if you want me to stay behind for you, I can and will. I can-"

"No, Spectra," Bloodgood waved her off. "You go be with your family. Perhaps my father can be some help,"

Upstairs, Jared had to deal with yet another of one Caleb's messes, with this one involving chocolate syrup. As Jared tried desperately to clean the syrup from beneath Caleb's nails, Caleb wouldn't stop resisting.

"No!" Caleb tried to wriggle away, but Jared kept his grip. "Let go! My show is on!"

"What show?" Asked Jared, grimacing at the dried syrup that would not come loose.

Caleb pulling his hand away, shoving a hand in his mouth and cleaning his nails with his tongue. "The Animal Planet!" He exclaimed once his hands had been removed from his mouth. "I like the meerkats best! I don't remember reading about them in school,"

Jared made another face at what Caleb had just done. "Ew...okay, well, wash your hands. You can watch your show after that,"

Reluctantly, Caleb ran his hands under the sink water, and he rubbed the bar of soap in his claws. Once he was done, he quickly scurried off to the TV. Jared sighed, and he turned the sink back on to wash his own hands.

This was when a peculiar tapping was heard on the outside of the bathroom window. The wind outside had also grown louder, and both those noises caught Jared's attention. He figured it was maybe a branch, but nonetheless, he went to the window to see what it was.

It was very foggy out, and when Jared tried to look outside, he didn't see anything. This caused him to open up the window and reach out to touch whatever had been tapping the glass. However, once he touched what he was sure was the branch, it grabbed him by the wrist with such strength that he yelped.

Jared looked up, staring directly into the dark eyes of anxious looking older man. The man's neck was turned in such a way that it looked snapped, and his hair was messy and raggedy. As he looked into Jared's eyes, he began to howl.

"Oh, please let me in!" The man sobbed, yanking Jared's hand violently. "I have to see the Weavers! I must make amends!"

Horrified, Jared tried to shake the man's grip, but the man would not turn him loose. "How did you get up on the roof!? Why are you out here!? Who are you!?"

"My name is James McAllroy!" The man cried, trying to force himself through the window. "Please, please let me in! I must see them!"

"No!" Jared finally freed himself from the ghostly stranger, and he slammed the window shut. After a few seconds of panting, he slowly opened the window once more. There was nothing.

"What was that?" It was Tim, who was just entering.

Jared took a moment to compose himself, and he stammered out, "A...a bird tried to fly in. That's all,"

Tim didn't seem to believe him, but he didn't press further. As he walked off, Jared closed the curtains of the window and let out a sigh, hoping this would never happen again.

Later that night, Spectra lay on the couch with Lillian and watched TV. Bloodgood had told Spectra to try and avoid keeping the kids up late, but Spectra had figured out that the best way to help get Lillian to sleep was to sit and watch TV with her until she got tired.

As a news report played on the TV, Lillian turned to Spectra, a quizzical look on her petite face. "Are you really leaving tomorrow?"

"Not for long," answered Spectra quietly. "I'll leave tomorrow morning, I'll be gone all that next day, and I'll be back by noon two days from now. Same with Jared,"

"Why are you going?"

Spectra sighed, sitting up a bit. "Well...it's Thanksgiving. I'm going to see my family: my mother, my father, my sisters and my grandfather. I haven't seen them in awhile, so I'm sure they miss me,"

Lillian thought this over. "Your grandfather is alive?"

"Of course he is! Well, not really. He is a ghost, but he's still with us,"

"Oh," Lillian looked down at Honey Bunny, picking absent-mindedly at his stitching. "I don't know my grandpa, or my grandma. Aunt Jenny used to say that I got my red hair from gramma,"

Spectra nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, really? Did you ever see any pictures of your grandma?"

"Nope. Mama didn't have any," Lillian looked back up at the TV- it was showing a dance troupe performing a routine. "But aunt Jenny also said that Grandma did the Lord's work and told people about God all around the world, an' then my Grandpa gave her Mama and left,"

There was a pause, and Spectra had a thought. "Lillian, could you...take down your hood?"

"Why?"

"I just want to see your hair,"

Lillian turned and stared at Spectra, and then she slowly pulled the hood down. Her hair was about shoulder length, and it was a light orange. Its intense color made her skin look paler than it really was.

Spectra went silent at the sight, and she whispered, "Lillian, you're really pretty,"

Lillian said nothing, and she turned back to the screen and kept watching.

Morning came, and Jared and Spectra had to leave for the next two days. The plan was that Spectra would drop Jared off at the bus stop so that he could get on the ferry, and then Spectra would continue to her parents' house. As the two rolled their suitcases out the door, the children called their goodbyes (well, except for Tom) and continued on with their day.

It was a little later in the afternoon when there was a gentle knock at the door. Bloodgood barely heard it as she worked in her office, but when the visitor knocked a second time, she looked towards the door and gasped.

"Father!"

Quickly, Bloodgood sprang from her chair and rushed for the door. When she opened it, she was faced with the tall, dark-haired and stone faced man she'd known all her life, and he kissed her when he saw her.

"My darling Nora," he sighed, tucking a finger beneath her chin to get a better look at her. "Aye, age has done you well, my dear. Though, you look a bit too much like your mother,"

"Why, father, that isn't my fault!" She grinned at him and embraced him, and she reached for his bags when they parted. "Here, allow me to help you,"

As Declan Bloodgood followed his daughter inside, he noticed Caleb sitting on the carpet, looking up at him. Declan raised an eyebrow, and he turned to Bloodgood. "Your dog looks sick,"

"Dog?" Caleb looked around. "What dog?"

Bloodgood gasped, shaking her head. "Why, father! That's Caleb! Remember, one of the children I told you about?"

Declan looked down again. "Ah. I see, though he is very skinny. What are you feeding him?"

"It doesn't matter," Bloodgood sighed, pushing the bags against the wall. "He's a rogue soul, he can't gain weight,"

At this moment, Tom entered, stopping when he saw Declan standing there. Declan noticed him, taking a step back in alarm. "Oh! Are you...another rogue soul, my good man?"

Tom just stared up at him, and he limped away, snarling all the while.

As the day continued, Declan silently observed the way the children behaved. He watched Benny have a meltdown after breaking a glass, he saw Caleb tear open a package of crackers, and then attempt to clean said crackers off the floor by eating them, and then Tom had his daily fit of rage. Once everything seemed to get quiet, Bloodgood went to prepare some potatoes for the next day, only to have Lillian throw a bunch of books down the stairs because they were 'boring' to her. This was all Declan needed to see, and he marched up to his room and slammed the door shut.

Noon rolled around, and Bloodgood put some sandwiches and fresh lemonade out for the children to eat. Once they were all at the table, Declan came back downstairs and threw a scribbled up paper on the table, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Some serious changes need to be made around here," Declan announced, crossing his arms with contempt. "Children, your behavior is unacceptable and I cannot be silent any longer. Nora, you must listen, too. I expected better from you than this,"

Bloodgood tried to argue. "Father-!"

Declan silenced her with a wave of his hand, and he picked the paper back up. "I have here a schedule I have composed as well as a punishment system that is completely fool-proof. And, since you are rogue souls, I will show you how to channel your anger and unwillingness to behave into positive methods. Once you are finished eating, you will meet me in the yard for your training. You will not disobey me!"

The children, on any other occasion, would have simply ignored him, but they were genuinely curious with what he had to say. Sure enough, after lunch, they met him outside in the yard.

"Children!" Declan held up a round stone in his hand, showing it off in the sun. "I hold in my hand a lake stone, which I will throw and you will retrieve. However, you must retrieve it without your powers," he whirled around and threw the stone into a tree, where it stuck between some branches. "See?" He pointed to it. "Fetching that stone with no powers actually requires much concentration and problem solving, which is exactly what I want you to do. Your powers have made you lazy, and you must work against that by going back to your human roots and climbing that tree. Do you understand?"

Lillian decided that she would be first to try this. She hoisted herself up about three feet, and then tumbled down. She stood up, dusted herself off, and tried again. This was repeated a few more times before she gave up and tried to levitate, but Declan quickly stopped her by spraying her with a spray bottle.

"No!" Declan barked. "I told you not to use powers!"

Lillian sputtered and shook her head, exclaiming, "I hate water!"

Declan sprayed her again. "Then don't disobey me!"

She then let out a shrill shriek right in his face, but he didn't recoil in shock like her victims did. Instead, Declan just stared at her, unamused, and sprayed her again.

"Go sit down!"

As Lillian stormed away, Caleb decided to give it a try. He dug his nails into the bark, hoisting himself up in a mountain-climbing sort of manner. He was pretty successful, until one of his nails broke and he fell to the ground.

"My nail just broke!" Caleb held his hand up to show Declan, who just sighed.

"Stop being such a woman. Sit down,"

Tim went next, and he felt pretty confident about himself. "I climb trees all the time," he grabbed on to a branch and began to left himself up. "And I jump right down again. It's easy," however, it didn't take long for him to realize that this was a much talker tree than he was used to.

Once the stone was in view, he tried to reach for it, but he faltered, causing a branch beneath him to break. Tim yelped, reaching out desperately for another branch and falling straight to the ground when he was unable to. When he stopped himself telepathically from hitting the ground, Declan marched over and sprayed him with the bottle.

"Are you deaf, boy!?" Declan sprayed him a second time. "I said 'no powers'!"

Tim finally lost his temper, and he snatched up the spray bottle and threw it. As he stalked off, Declan began to shout after him.

"Do you know why you rogue souls attack others and have negative attitudes!? Because your death killed the soul you once were! Your first soul was strong, your new one is weak!"

Nora Bloodgood had been spraying down her casserole pan when Tim entered in a huff. As he pulled up a chair and sat down, Bloodgood just sighed.

"What happened?"

Tim looked up, and though his face was concealed, it was clear he was very upset. "Can I kill your dad!?"

Bloodgood just shook her head, going back to her work. "That's just how he is, Tim. He raised me that way when I was a child, and now he's rearing you this way. He used to be in the army, you know,"

"He sprayed me with water," muttered Tim, looking away.

There was a pause, and Bloodgood bent down and tucked a finger beneath his chin. "Well, that is concerning. I will talk to him, but for now," she handed him a mini eclair from a box. "It's frozen, but it's chocolate. I think you need it,"

Tim took the eclair silently, then he asked, "Bloodgood? If you like kids so much, how come you didn't have any?"

Bloodgood stopped, and she laughed a bit. "Why, I'm not even married!"

"Oh," Tim took a bite of the eclair, and he looked back up. "What difference does that make?"

Closing up the oven, Bloodgood just shook her head. "I'm afraid you're watching too much TV, my boy,"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Change

"Father, I am appalled at your actions!" Nora scolded her father as the two sat in the living room. "I never gave you permission to try and teach these children in such a manner!"

"Of course you didn't," Declan huffed, rooting through his newspaper. "I am your father, and I will do what I believe is necessary! I, whole-heatedly, am trying to help you,"

Nora sighed, standing up and pushing the newspaper away so he could look at her face. "Father, I am truly grateful for your help, and I want to take a look at the schedule you made for me. However, don't you think you're being a bit harsh?"

Declan scoffed at the idea. "Harsh!? Nora, you are living with a band of murders, here! Don't think I am oblivious to the pasts of these children, they need someone like me,"

"They've been through quite a bit," Nora tried to say, but Declan cut right in.

"I don't care what they've been through!" Declan snapped. "I was in a war, my employer tried to murder me, and your mother took almost all our money and left! I don't use those as excuses, and neither should they!"

Before Bloodgood could answer, Caleb came dashing in excitedly, calling, "Miss Bloodgood! Miss Bloodgood!"

"Yes?" Bloodgood bent down to look at him. "What is it, Caleb?"

"It's Tom," Caleb bounced up and down in anticipation. "He's climbing that tree- with no powers!"

Declan looked skeptical. "I doubt that is true,"

"It is!" Caleb began to tug on Declan's coat. "Come see!"

Sure enough, once Declan and Nora had stepped outside, they were met with the sight of Tom inching his way up the tree, mangled limbs and all. Bloodgood took once look at this, and she bolted towards the scene. "Tom! Tom, get down from there! You'll hurt yourself!"

"He won't, Nora," grinned Declan, crossing his arms and watching Tom with amusement. "He's a rogue soul, for goodness sake!"

Once Bloodgood managed to coax Tom into getting down, he inched towards the ground with something clutched in his hand. He reached the ground, and unfurled his hand to reveal the stone Declan had thrown up there.

"Why, Tom!" Bloodgood exclaimed, quite surprised. "You got up there without powers? By yourself?"

Tom simply nodded, and he offered the stone to Declan. Declan, however, declined. "No, no, my boy. You earned it," as Tom put the stone in his pocket, Declan remarked, "I did not expect you to make that climb, since you're, well, crippled,"

"He can do a lot," explained Tim, coming up behind Tom and patting his shoulder. "He can do more than anyone may think!"

At dinner that night, as everyone was enjoying the tea sandwiches Bloodgood had prepared, Declan made a startling announcement.

"Nora, my darling," he cleared his throat, setting his glass down. "I think I should tell you that I plan on moving in with someone soon,"

Bloodgood was rather suprised. "Oh? With who?"

Declan went quiet for a few seconds as he refilled his wine glass, his hands quivering noticeably. "Well, it's somebody you are unfamiliar with. A younger person, but not underage," when no one said anything, he cut to the chase. "I'm moving in with another man, Nora,"

Nora stopped cutting a sandwich, and she turned to him with a look of alarm of her face. "You're gay!?"

The children seemed confused by this conversation, and they whispered amongst themselves to try and make sense of it. Declan, noticing this, quickly shook his head. "P-perhaps now is it not the best time for this discussion,"

"Oh, Father," Bloodgood took his hand and squeezed it lovingly. "There's no need to be ashamed, and I apologize for...what I just said. We'll discuss this later,"

Everybody kept eating and tried to forget what they'd just heard. Benny, however, couldn't get this out of his mind, and he told his brothers just what he'd been thinking as they got ready for bed that night.

"He has damned himself!" Benny ranted on and on while his brothers tried to ignore him. "He's committing an evil sin and shall be condemned!"

"Would you shut up!?" Caleb snapped from the couch, where he and Lillian watched TV. "We're trying to watch 'Spiderman'!"

Tim finally had to put a stop to the rant. "Benny, come on. He never said they were getting married,"

Benny tried to argue. "It's still nasty!"

"Oh, yeah?" Tim crossed his arms, leaning in closer. "Well, Benny. We used to kill people. Are we really better?"

There was a pause, and Benny suddenly burst into tears. Seeing this, Tim muttered, "Yeah, cry about that, crybaby,"

Morning came, and Thanksgiving seemed to pass by quickly. At least, it seemed that way to Spectra. She was delighted to see her family, as they talked and laughed over dinner, and she took pictures with her siblings as well as her mother and stepfather. Though, as the sun began to set, Spectra sat out on the porch swing and watched the sherbet-colored sky fade into night, and her mother came to join her.

"Did you have a nice time, my dear?" Caliphe Vondergeist asked softly, sitting beside her daughter.

Spectra nodded, smiling at her mother. "Yeah. I always do, Mom," she looked back out at the sky, and she asked, "Mom, do you ever wonder if...you know, if Dad is out there somewhere, as a rogue soul?"

"I should hope not!" Caliphe exclaimed. "If I ever saw that man again, I'd have to kill him all over again!"

Spectra couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Okay, but...I've been dreaming about...him,"

There was a paused, and Caliphe wrapped an arm around her daughter. "Even if he is around and searching for us, he can't hurt us anymore. We are untouchable, my dear girl,"

The next day, Spectra got up early and said goodbye to her family, and she headed for the ferry dock to pick up Jared. Once he had been picked up, they continued on to Bloodgood's house.

As Declan was preparing to leave, Bloodgood showed Spectra and Jared the schedule he'd created as well as the punishment system he'd thought up. When Declan was headed out the door, Bloodgood stopped to hug him.

"I hope to talk again soon, Father," she kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you have someone to be with right now,"

Declan just smiled and hugged her back. "Thank you, dear Nora,"

After he'd left, Bloodgood hung up the schedule and the changes began. The schedule had a wake-up time, a time to have breakfast, to get dressed, and just about everything else a simple morning could include. Spectra made another copy for the children to keep in their room, though the children weren't exactly partial to the schedule at first. However, they began to like the way there was a time for everything, and the new system helped organize the day a bit.

And then, there was the new punishment system. Declan had drawn a sort of chart for this, and it had different levels. The first 'level' was a warning, the second was another warning (this one needed to be more strict than the first), and then the third was to place the child in a quiet area for a certain number of minutes (the time had to be one minute per age). Once the time was up, the child would be expected to apologize for the behavior.

This method had mixed results on the children. It was first tested on Caleb, who was surprisingly agreeable at first (he was being punished for burrowing into a sack of flour), but that changed once his nine minutes were up.

"All right, Caleb," Bloodgood announced as she entered the so-called 'reflection room' where he was being kept. "It's time to...where are you?" He wasn't in the chair where she'd left him.

"I got bored!" Called a voice from above, and Bloodgood looked up to see that he'd climbed up the wall and was now hanging from the ceiling fan.

Bloodgood just rolled her eyes and gestured for him to come down. "Well, come down and apologize to me, Caleb!"

He jumped down, and then tapped his chin in thought. "I forgot. What do I need to say sorry for?"

Later, when Lillian was placed in the room for throwing her socks at Jared, she could not be contained for just five minutes. She kept opening the door and running out, and when Jared finally locked the door, Lillian picked the lock with a bobby pin she found. This game of cat and mouse continued for at least an hour until Lillian finally gave up, curled up in a ball on the floor and fell asleep.

That night, at dinner, Tom suddenly flew into a rage for no apparent reason. He threw a glass of milk on the wall and shrieked, and Spectra didn't even wait for a warning. She grabbed him and dragged him to the room, locking him inside and setting the timer for twelve minutes. Tom did not respond well to this, and he pounded on the door while screaming all the while. After about five minutes, this stopped, and the timer went off seven minutes later.

When Spectra came in to talk to Tom, he was sitting there crying, just crying profusely. He looked up when she came in, and he dabbed at his exposed eye while making a strange growling sound. It almost sounded as if he were trying to talk, but couldn't.

"Why are you crying, Tom?" Spectra inquired, brushing the hair from his masked face gently. He only sniffed and stumbled to his feet, heading away to the others.

The next morning, it occurred to Spectra that the children had been with them for a month. Aaleyah was going to return that very day, and this visit would determine how fit the children were for society.

As the black car pulled into the driveway, Bloodgood couldn't help but wring her hands nervously. The children were in the dining room eating breakfast, and they'd been told to be on their best behavior, though whether or not they'd listen was a different manner.

The car door opened, and Aaleyah stepped out, briefcase in hand. As she came walking up the steps, Bloodgood opened the door for her.

"Good morning, Miss Bloodgood," Aaleyah greeted, shaking her hand. "I'm here for the monthly evaluation,"

Bloodgood nodded, showing her to the dining room. "Of course, the children are right in here,"

For the next half hour, Aaleyah observed the children's behavior from the couch in the living room. The children didn't do much, they just watched TV and walked around quietly, perhaps a little self-concious with Aaleyah staring at them. The only eventful thing that happened was when Benny got upset over seeing an ad for women's underwear on TV, but his siblings just ignored him as usual. Once the half hour was up, Aaleyah scribbled down some notes and went to talk to Bloodgood in the office.

"The children seem to have made impressive progress," Aaleyah began, flipping through her notes. "However, I would suggest cutting down the amount of TV they watch. Yes, it keeps them quiet, but it may hinder their development," she laid her notepad on her lap, looking up at Bloodgood. "Now, we need to discuss something very important: their integration into society,"

Bloodgood nodded understandingly, folding her hands. "Yes. Do you think they're ready to be in public?"

Aaleyah was quiet for a few seconds, and she gave a slight nod. "I would say so. However, it is crucial that they're monitored at all times. You wouldn't want them running off into a crowded mall and causing trouble,"

"Oh, of course," as Aaleyah stood up, Bloodgood shook her hand once more. "Thank you so much, Aaleyah. Raising these children has been quite the privilege,"

As Aaleyah left, Bloodgood pulled Spectra aside to talk to her. "Tomorrow I need to go back to Monster High," Bloodgood explained in a hush tone. "I need you and Jared to take the children shopping for new clothes,"

Spectra's mouth fell open a bit. "Really!? So soon?"

"I think they'll do fine," Bloodgood sighed, glancing over at the children in the dining room. "And if you have any trouble, you can always call me,"

Spectra thought this over quietly. "Well...all right, hopefully it can't go wrong,

 **Hello, my dearest readers! Sorry if this chapter was a bit un eventful. It was getting long and I thought it was a good place to stop for now.**

 **I'm glad to say that I auditioned for the musical rendition of 'The Addams Family' and I got the role of the grandmother! That should be fun. Rehearsals start after New Year's, so I won't be posting quite as much.**

 **Anyway, if you have any questions, comments, or theories, I am eager to hear them. Feel free to write a review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Shopping

Early that next morning, Bloodgood left for her usual job as a high school principal. Once she was gone, Spectra was in charge of getting the children ready to go out.

The kids got up a few hours after Bloodgood left, and they had their breakfast as usual. This day would be different, however, as Spectra had to tell them what they were doing that day.

"Hey, kids," Spectra walked into the dining room, getting their attention. "Once you're done eating, you need to freshen up a bit," when they looked confused, Spectra continued. "We're going shopping today!"

The children exchanged glances with one another, and Tim inquired, "Where are we going?"

"We are going to Starlight Square Mall," Spectra explained, pouring herself a bowl of ceareal. "Now, that mall is very big and full of stores, so if you get lost, walk up to someone who works at one of the stores and ask them to-"

Her lecture was cut off by Lillian. "'Mall'? What's a mall?"

Spectra suddenly realized that the children had never been mall shopping before. "Oh! Well...it's a big store that has a bunch of little stores inside of it. You've never been to one?"

"The only place we ever went shopping was the market," Benny answered. "And that had live chickens. Does a mall have live chickens?"

"I would think not," Spectra had to laugh. "They have a small pet store last I checked, but nothing more,"

Once breakfast was over and done with, Spectra and Jared got the kids in the car and headed off to the mall, both silently praying that the trip would go well.

"Are we lost?" Asked Tim as they were 15 minutes into the drive. "I don't see it!"

"No, we're not lost," assured Jared. "It's coming up, just wait,"

The car made a few more turns, until the huge structure that was known all around the area as Starlight Square came into view. The children, filled with awe at the amazing view, strained to look out the windows as the car crept along the pavement.

Though Starlight Square was mostly full of monsters and such, the children still gained strange looks from the other shoppers as they got out of the car. The first amazing thing the children witnessed were the automatic doors, which slid open and closed as the shoppers entered and exited. However, there was still more to see.

The children were met with all the noise, music and excitement of a mall, something they'd never seen until now, and they marveled at the cleanliness of the ceilings and floors. Jared and Spectra allowed the kids to have a moment to take everything in, and then Spectra stepped forward to give directions.

"Okay, kids," she cleared her throat, getting their attention. "Bloodgood sent us to buy new clothes for you to wear, so-"

Before she could finish, Caleb turned around and bolted into the crowd of shoppers.

"Caleb!" Spectra gasped, trying to zoom after him. He was fast, but Spectra soon managed to scoop him up and drag him back to where the others were.

"I was just exploring!" Caleb protested, wriggling. "Let go! Let go!"

Spectra still was wary about setting him down, and she leaned in close to Jared. "What are we going to do?! He can't just run off like this!"

Jared took a glance at a nearby shop, and he turned away. "Hang on,"

He returned momentarily with a meerkat backpack, which he proceeded to slip on Caleb. "You like meerkats, right? Well, this is for you,"

Caleb was ecstatic for this new bag, and when Spectra set him down, he couldn't help but try to twist himself around to look at it. However, he didn't notice the leash attached to it that Jared was holding. Caleb tried to run again, but he was stopped by the leash's tug. He tried again, and he turned to Jared.

"I'm not a dog!" Caleb snapped, trying to break the leash with his nails.

"Well, stop acting like one," Jared led him to the others. "Come on now, Skellingbones!"

The first stop was a clothing store called 'The Feisty Kangaroo'. Upon entering, the mannequins in the window became Benny's primary concern. He stopped, looked them over quietly, then tugged on Spectra's skirt.

"Why are there dolls in the window!?" Benny wanted to know, a little disturbed. "And why are they dressed up!?"

"It's just to show off the clothing," Spectra explained, realizing she was going to have to explain lots of things this day. "It's nothing bad, it's an advertisement,"

Tom approached a female mannequin in a Christmas themed dress, and he tried to snake his twisted hand up the skirt. Tim noticed this and yanked him away. "Tom, no!"

As the boys were sent off with Jared, Spectra took Lillian with her to look at dresses in the children's section. Lillian was immeadlity drawn to a simple but lovely blouse, which was yellow with flowers.

"I used to have a dress just like this!" Lillian took it off the rack, gazing at it fondly. "I used to wear it to church,"

Spectra looked at the price tag and shrugged. "Well, it's at a reasonable price. Do you want it?"

Lillian was quiet, and she looked back at the dress. "I guess,"

"Would you like to try it on?" Inquired Spectra, smoothing down the fabric. "It looks really pretty,"

"Try it on?" Lillian sounded perplexed. "Here?"

Spectra gestured to the dressing rooms. "Yeah, right over there. Come on, let's go,"

Once Lillian realized what a dressing room was, she refused to undress, and Spectra (not wanting to cause a big scene) just threw the dress in the cart and briskly went on their way. When Spectra noticed how agitated Lillian had become, she asked, "Lillian, won't you ever take off those silly rabbit pajamas?"

"They're not silly!" Lillian protested, but she still looked longingly at the dress in the cart.

Meanwhile, in the boy's clothing section, Caleb's leash wasn't stopping him from his usual mischief.

"'Black Night Cologne'?" Caleb read aloud from a cologne bottle on a shelf. He said it like 'call-lounge'. "What is it?" He sprayed some on Benny, who shrieked in response.

"Don't touch that!" Jared hissed, yanking it away. "Do you wanna get us kicked out!?"

Meanwhile, Tim and Tom looked through a section full of jackets, and Tim made a discovery. "Hey!" He pulled out a red jacket. "This is what that one guy was wearing! You know, with the camera?"

Tom just stared at the jacket, then he hung it up and turned away. At this point, Jared walked up to both with a cluster of shirts in one hand and Caleb's leash in the other. "I got some stuff I think you would like! Here, look through them real quick. Benny likes the red suit,"

As the twins rooted through the clothes, Tim inquired, "Do you have kids, Jared?"

Jared went quiet, and he looked away briefly. "Uh, yeah. I do. I have a daughter,"

"What's her name?" Asked Caleb, though he wasn't really interested.

"Anne Marie," Jared answered quietly, taking out his phone. "She's ten and a half. Here's her picture," he showed Anne Marie's school portrait to the boys. "Cute, right?"

Tim studied her silently. "She...looks a lot like you,"

"Thanks," Jared answered, putting his phone away. "I haven't talked to her in forever. The last time I tried to call her, her grandma raised a big stink. Hopefully, I'll see her on Christmas," he seemed a bit saddened, and he took the clothes back. "Now, let's meet up with Spectra, eh?"

After the purchases, Spectra took a look at her watch. "Well, it's noon already. You wanna stop somewhere for lunch?"

Jared took a look at Caleb, and he grimaced. "Okay, but...can we stop somewhere quiet and not packed? That leash is hanging by a thread already, so we need to be somewhere where Caleb won't run off,"

Among the dozens of small restaurants lining the mall food court, a small cafè named 'The Wall' was what caught Spectra and Jared's attention. The only other customers were a small group of coyotes towards the back, though there seemed to only be one waiter on duty. He was a young man in his twenties, with long black hair that was shaved off on one side, and he wore a T-shirt that said 'I want pizza, not your opinion'.

As the group entered, the man set down the glass he was cleaning and went to greet them. "Hey," he nodded, seeming a bit out of breath. "My name's Shane, you can have a seat right here if you want," he gestured to the bar area, and as they sat down, he asked, "What can I get you?"

"Where's the rest of your hair?" Asked Lillian, studying the shaved area.

Shane looked up from his notepad, rather amused. "I got it shaved off, it's a look," he then really began to notice the children's appearances, and his smile faded. "Wait a second...you're those...Weaver kids, aren't you?"

"They won't cause any trouble," Spectra assured quickly. "Now, can we get a twelve piece fried chicken basket? That's probably what they'd like, right?"

The children seemed to agree, but Jared made a face. "You're really gonna eat that?"

"We're ghosts, Jared," sighed Spectra as Shane took the order down. "We don't need to worry,"

Jared just shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Whatever suits you," he turned to Shane. "Potato salad. Extra mustard, no celery,"

Shane nodded, and he walked through the door to the kitchen. "Rupert! You got the fryer turned on?"

As the children began to examine the restaurant around them, something caught Caleb's attention. "Why are they staring at us?"

"Who?" Asked Spectra, confused.

"Those wolf things," he pointed to the group of coyotes, who were staring at the children while whispering harshly.

Spectra distracted Caleb with her phone. "Here, I have Angry Ghouls on here. Try playing it," when he was occupied, Spectra turned back to keep a close eye on the coyotes.

About ten minutes passed, and Shane returned with the basket of chicken and a bowl of potato salad. However, this was the moment things began going South.

One of the coyotes rose up from the table in the back and walked up the the bar area, and Spectra realized that he was after Jared, not the children.

"Hey there, punk," the coyote growled, clapping a hand on Jared's shoulder and making him freeze up. "You're pretty brave to show an evil-ass face like yours in this place!"

Shane tried to diffuse the situation. "Chuck, come on. Sit down,"

"You shut up!" Barked Chuck, forcefully grabbing Jared's face. "You think you're so cool? You think you're so great? Your a delusional piece of shit, murderer!"

"We don't talk like this here!" Shane snapped, snatching up Chuck's wrist. "Don't make me call the cops!"

When Chuck made a snarling sound, Tim stood up. "Sit down, or I swear I will hurt you!"

Chuck scoffed. "Yeah, whatever, kid. What you gonna do? Scare me? What are you, some kind of 'Friday-the-Thirteenth' kinda dude?" Before Tim could respond, Chuck lashed out and tore off his mask.

The screech Tim let out was sharp and piercing. With great strength, he tackled Chuck and got him in a headlock, which caught the attention of Chuck's friends.

"Hey, hey, hey!" A skinnier coyote with a Mohawk pried Tim off of his friend and spun him around to look at him. "Can you-"

Tim looked up, and the coyote released him in shock. Tim's face, unlike the rest of his body, was a bluish color, with burns on his forehead and chin. The skin around his eye had been burned so badly that his left eye was literally melted shut, and part of his upper lip was torn.

"Get out!" Shane yelled, running out from behind the counter. "All of you! Out! I don't even care if you don't tip!"

Chuck, quite shaken, got up quickly and dashed out, with his friends following him. The coyote with the Mohawk turned back to look at Shane, but Shane wasn't having it.

"Out! That means you, Sebastian!"

When Sebastian yelped a bit and left, Tim suddenly collapsed on the ground. Spectra knelt down and helped him up, recoiling a bit at his revealed face. "Tim...oh, Tim, honey,"

Tim hid his face and began to weep profusely, and Tom approached him with his brother's mask in hand. As Tom began to re-attach Tim's mask, Jared just sighed and took out his wallet. "I guess we'd like that to go, please. I'm sorry,"

Shane just nodded, getting some bags out of a drawer. "No, no, it's fine. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that just now,"

As they left the mall, take out bags in hand, Spectra gently smoothed Tim's hair back. "Tim," she said softly. "I think it's about time we talked about the fire,"

Tim looked up, his mask on now, and he sniffed. "I...when we get home?"

"Yes," answered Spectra. "We'll finish lunch at home, and then we'll talk about it,"

They headed for the car.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

The Fire

 **Warning: this chapter contains violence and themes one may find disturbing. You have been warned.**

Spectra sighed as she set up her tripod, hooking up her camera and switching it on. On the couch facing the camera were the Weaver children, who were all seated and, hopefully, ready to answer questions. Once the camera was recording, Spectra took a seat and began to interview.

"All right children," she started, clearing her throat. "You're already a month into your reformation program, and we still have only vague details on your causes of death. Are you ready to shed some light on the 1924 Fire?"

The children all exchanged glances, and Tim held up his head. "I can start," once the attention was focused on him, he unfurled the beginning of a story that Spectra, nor anyone else, would ever forget.

The events of the fire went as follows.

* * *

It all began at 10:00 PM. The night was dark and cold, and the children were all asleep in bed while Mary did the laundry and John smoked his pipe while listening to the radio. All was quiet, all was average, until there was a clatter.

The other children heard the sound, but Tim just slept on until Tom shook him awake. "Tom?" Tm sat up, his brow furrowing when he saw the other children standing in the hallway and Tom's anxious expression. "What is it? What's going on?"

Tom pointed down the hallway. "Noise," he half whispered, sounding terrified. "Something's wrong!"

As Tim got out of bed, the sounds of obnoxious yelling suddenly burst from the living room, and Caleb was the one to run ahead of the others to see what was going on. Caleb then witnessed John, his father, attempt to strike Mary with a frying pan, but he missed, and Mary made a loud hissing sound and acted like she was going to bite him.

"Don't you dare try and act like this isn't your fault!" John was shouting as he took a step back. "You're the reason why they're coming!You let a demon into our bed and had those Goddamn kids, and if anyone should suffer the consequences, it should be _you_!"

"John!" Mary began to sob, hiding her face. "I swear to you, it was no demon!"

"Then who was it!?" John snapped, snatching up her wrist. John then noticed Caleb standing in the doorway, and he released Mary. "Caleb, go to bed!"

Caleb, however, did not move. "But Papa, who's coming?"

John just gripped the frying pan in his hand while rocking back and forth slowly. "The church...the church is coming..."

"The church?" Caleb was confused. "Why is the church coming?

"Because of me!" Mary suddenly wailed, collapsing. "Oh, God, forgive me! They'll come and...oh, who knows what they'll do!"

Caleb just thought this over. "Well...I know! I can run to Pastor's house! I can tell him-"

"No!" John banged the frying pan on the table, making Caleb jump. "I won't let you go into those woods! I forbid you! You may be strong and fast, but none of us can run from this!"

When he said this, Lillian began to cry, and Mary's eyes rested on Tim and Tom. After a moment, she stood up slowly. "I know what to do," she spoke quietly as she moved forward. "I know to cleanse my sin,"

She grabbed Tim and Tom rather suddenly, dragging them towards the door. "Mama!" yelped Tim, struggling in her grip. "Mama, wait! Mama!"

Once they were outside, Mary nearly threw both of her sons on the grass, shouting, "Stay out here, boys! You have to stay out here, and you can't come in, not now or ever!"

"What!?" as Mary started to walk away, Tim grabbed her arm. "But, Mama, why!? Why can't we come home again? Mama, why can't we come home?"

She ignored him, but both boys saw her shoulders trembling as she went to the door. Tim tried again, near to tears.

"Don't you love us anymore?" Mary still did not answer, so he tried once more. "Haven't you talked to Papa?"

Mary suddenly slammed the door shut, and Tom just let out a soft, sad "Oh..."

The winter winds blew harshly on both boys, and Tim shuddered. "It's so cold out here..." he looked out into the woods, where a group of figures were emerging from far away. "Oh, no," Tim grabbed his brother, yanking him in the direction of the shed. "Come on, in the shed!"

In the house, Benny watched as John firmly locked the front door. "Should I pray, Papa?" asked Benny, and John nodded.

"Yes, Benny. Go pray, and pray very hard," as Benny walked away, John picked up Lillian and pressed her close. "Lilly, you must promise that you will not cause any trouble,"

Lillian looked up at her father, nodding. "Yes, Papa," just then, there was a banging on the door, and Lillian gasped. "Papa! The door!"

The banging sounded again, and John pushed Lillian behind him. "Stay back," he warned softly, turning to the door. "Who's out there!?"

"It's us!" a woman's voice called back. "Where is your wife?!"

"In here," answered John, gripping on to Mary's shoulders and pushing her towards the door. "Just take her and leave!"

When Mary screamed in protest, the door handle began to click. After a few minutes of clicking, the door swung open, and there stood a group of people in various masks and hoods. Though their identities were concealed, the children knew that these were people they went to church with. However, leading this group was a woman in a black dress, with thick and curly blond hair. The children swore they'd never seen her before, but as she confronted Mary, she said the following:

"You think you can act innocent? You think you can act like nothing is wrong? You are sorely mistaken, Mary Thatcher-Weaver! The father of those demon children of yours is my husband, and it disgusts me that you think you can get away with what you did, and what you are!"

Mary cowered in the corner, looking helpless. "But...he told me he wasn't married!"

"Probably because he was afraid," the woman clenched her fist, glaring with bright green eyes. "After all _you_ seduced him!"

"Me!?" Mary's voice cracked. "P-please, listen-"

The woman silenced her again. "Mary, I grow tired of your lies! We already know what you are, and we think you should tell your husband!"

"No!" Mary hid her face once more. "I can't!"

In the shed, Tom looked outside and saw the lights on. Something was wrong.

"Mama," Tom murmured, and Tim heard him.

"What?" Tim went to join him, taking his arm. "Tom, we can't-"

Just then, there were a series of gunshots, and they heard Caleb and Lillian screaming. Tom jolted, and he limped to the door hastily. Tim followed. "Tom, wait!"

In the house, a masked man had pulled a gun out and had fired some warning shots, but no one was hit. John had just about enough of this, and he grabbed his own gun. "I don't want to shoot anyone!" he warned, loading the weapon. "Mary, just confess! Please!"

Just then, someone in the crowd let out a yelp, and there was a 'pang' sound. Everyone turned to look, and it was Tom. He'd hit a woman in the head with a shovel, and he was standing there staring at everyone with a menacing look. There was a pause, and the woman in the black dress crossed her arms, looking amused.

"Brave young cripple, isn't he?" there was another long pause, and she said curtly, "Kill him,"

Three men all seized Tom at once, descending on him like a pack of wolves descends on an injured deer. As they began to drag him off, Tim ran up and tried to stop them.

"No, stop!" Tim tried to run after them, but another man held him back. "Let go! Stop! Tom!" the man threw Tim before his mother, and Tim looked up at Mary. "Mama, how could you let them take him!?" she didn't answer, so he turned back to find Tom again. "Bring him back! If you hurt him, I'll hurt you!"

As Mary and John stood in their kitchen, with Benny praying feverishly in the corner and Lillian and Caleb hiding under the table, the woman in black reached forward and got Mary by the chin. "Dearest Mary," her voice was sickeningly sweet. "Why can't you just confess your sins?"

Mary stared into the woman's eyes, completely silent. Suddenly, with a quick motion of her hand, Mary knocked over the lit lantern and sent the fire spilling forth from its glass chamber, setting the wooden floor ablaze. The woman jumped, and quickly retreated outside with her other companions.

As soon as the fire began to spread, John quickly rushed to the old sink to collect enough water. "Benny!" he barked. "Take your brother and sister outside! Keep them safe!"

What happened next was unclear. As the three children rushed outside, Benny turned back just in time to see John slam the door to the house shut, locking Mary inside with the fire. Benny tried to call for both of their parents, but to no avail. John ran off to the shed, ignoring his children's cries.

Tim had lost sight of the men who'd taken Tom, but he encountered the woman in the black dress for the final time. "Who are you!?" he yelled, swinging at the woman but missing each time. "Where's my brother!?"

"That's none of your concern, child," the woman seized Tim's arms and twisted them behind his back. "Now, go home!" with that, she turned him around and shoved him in the direction of the fire.

All Tim could remember was a burning sensation on his skin and the muffled sound of his mother's screaming. He couldn't see anything, and all he could do was grope around aimlessly until he felt someone's body beneath his hand, and he heard a cough. "T-Tim..." it was Tom.

Tim began to cough himself, though this cough was uncontrollable. He grasped onto his brother and wheezed over and over until he could no longer breathe, and his lungs just stopped working all together.

Further away, Lillian had separated from her two brothers since they'd told her to go to the village. They'd figured that, because she was so small, the attackers would not notice her running away. However, they did, and someone grabbed her. Lillian did not know who, but they dragged her to the well and tossed her inside. She did not elaborate about her experience in the well.

As Benny and Caleb were looking for a place to escape, Benny noticed the water tower. "Here, Caleb!" he reached up and began to climb up the water tower. "I'll-I'll get up here, and I'll pull you up," He didn't get very far, as his foot slipped rather abruptly and he plummeted down, landing right on his neck.

Caleb gasped as his brother lay motionless on the ground after the fall, but he didn't check to see if he was alive. When he heard the voices of the attackers, he bolted off, leaving Benny behind.

This was when Caleb noticed the shovel Tom had left behind earlier, and he grabbed it with a certain idea in mind. He ran to a cluster of trees, where he began to dig a hole in the ground. His plan was to create a hiding place, where he could hide away from the attackers until morning.

Yet, once he'd finished the hole, he began to think about the others, and this made him weep bitterly. He just stood there and sobbed, staring into the hole he'd just made and dropping the shovel. Right after he'd dropped the shovel, a voice behind him said his name.

"Caleb?"

Caleb turned around, seeing Pastor McAlroy standing there holding an empty paper bag. "Pastor!" Caleb ran to him and grabbed him, crying out, "S-someone came, Pastor! They came and...and they...they-!"

"Calm down, Caleb," McAlroy stroked his hair, turning him around to look back at the hole. "Just keep calm, Caleb. Everything will be fine, son,"

What happened next wasn't exactly clear, as Caleb could only give the following description: "He...he put something over my head. It was paper, I think. Yeah, a paper bag, and he shoved me and I fell in the hole. I took the bag off, but he was covering me with dirt and I couldn't stand up,"

According to the authorities, the children's bodies were never found.

* * *

Spectra slowly reached up to switch the camera off, her fingers trembling. "T-thank you, kids. I'm...I'm so sorry,"

The children seemed slightly uncomfortable after sharing their story, and Jared seemed to be thinking very hard about something. "Wait...you said your pastor's last name was 'McAlroy'?"

Tim nodded. "Yes, and Tom and I killed him when Caleb told us what he did. We don't know if-"

"You guys," Jared cut in, anxious. "I...I saw him,"

The children all looked up at once. "You did!?" Benny stood up. "Where!?"

"In the bathroom," explained Jared. "He tried to come in through the window, he was looking for you,"

There was a silence, and the children looked at one another. After a moment, Caleb whispered, "He followed us here,"

Spectra could no longer stand it, and she burst into tears. "Oh, you poor kids!" She scooped up Lillian, holding her close while sobbing. "Out of all the stories I've had to cover, this has to be the worst! Don't worry, we'll find who did this!"

Lillian wriggled away from Spectra, jumping down and asking, "But what can we do? I think that lady might be dead, now,"

Wiping her eyes, Spectra stated factually, "If being a ghost has taught me anything, it's that death is not the barrier we think it is,"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

The Green Widow

It was that Friday the SCP contacted Bloodgood with an article detailing their findings in the Mount Todd woods.

In the woods, agents discovered a trophy, a bible, and the journal of Mary Weaver among the remains of the old house, all of which were taken in as evidence. However, this wasn't all.

Nine rogue souls, including John and Mary Weaver, were discovered and taken into custody. The other seven were identified as the missing teenagers: Sam Stevens, Laura London, Katie Thoms, Carly Shear, Matthew Roelands, Sierra Pleckan and Nathaniel Beard. The only teenager not found was Travis Burton.

Mary and John were both brought into custody and were questioned, and the audio recordings of the interrogations accompanied the article. The teenage rogue souls, on the other hand, were found to be unresponsive and refused to communicate. The alleged family members the teenagers were contacted, though many could not recognize the ghosts.

The writers of the article then requested that Bloodgood come forward with at least two of the children to bring them in for questioning. Bloodgood chose Tim and Benny, since she figured they could give the most information. The children's doctor, Milo Wing, was also called forward, and he obliged.

On Saturday morning, Bloodgood took the boys with her and headed off to the SCP Family Center, which was near the primary headquarters. Upon arrival, they met up with Dr. Wing, Aaleyah and Dr. Calvin, who all took them into a secluded room with a computer and a desk full of papers.

"Have a seat, please," Dr. Calvin gestured for his guests to sit at the table in the center of the room. "Now, I'm sure you all know why you're here,"

"We don't have to see Mama and Papa, do we?" asked Tim, sounding apprehensive. "I know you have them,"

Dr. Calvin shook his head quickly. "Oh, of course not! I can assure you, they're locked up. We'll have you talk to them eventually, but that won't be happening today," he grabbed a stack of papers and began to shuffle through them "As of now, I have some notes to get through with you. Spectra sent me the tape of your interview with her, where you described the night of the fire, and Aaleyah and I watched it. We have a few questions for you, but only if you're willing to answer them,"

Tim and Benny exchanged a glance, and Tim nodded. "Yeah, sure,"

"We want to know about that woman you described," Aaleyah began, folding her hands on the table. "You're completely sure you've never seen her before?"

"Never," Benny stated firmly. "I would know her anywhere. She didn't look like anyone else,"

Dr. Calvin nodded, writing this down. "I see, I see...and can you describe her? Did you notice any peculiar features?"

Tim thought about it. "Well...something about her eyes was weird. They were kind of glowing; did you notice, Benny?"

"I was too busy prayin'," Benny admitted. "Didn't really get to look at her that long,"

"Do you have an idea about who that might be?" asked Bloodgood. "And even if she's dead, is she still around?"

Aaleyah turned around and pulled a folder out of the desk. "Oh, she's not dead, and I have a pretty good idea of who she is," she dug around in the folder and pulled out a recently taken photograph. "Is this her, boys?"

Tim took a look at the photograph, and he nearly jumped in surprised. "Yeah, she looks exactly the same! But...I don't understand. When was this taken?"

"Someone sent us that picture about a month ago," Aaleyah answered. "That's a woman we've tried to catch for years. We don't know her real name, as her identity seems to change every few years. The staff here nicknamed her 'Emerald Eyes' or 'The Green Widow', because of her eye color. We don't know exactly what she does, but whenever a man, usually a wealthy white man, commits a horrific crime, she tries to bail him out or help him get off easy all while claiming to be his wife or girlfriend. Exactly a week later, and it's always been seven days, the man mysteriously dies, and Emerald Eyes is nowhere to be found. The next time someone spots her, her name is always different,"

Bloodgood thought for a moment. "Oh, my, that is certainly strange. How do the men usually die?"

"Their hearts just stop beating altogether," Dr. Calvin answered. His expression had changed, and he looked very upset. "I should know, because my nephew was one of her victims,"

There was a pause, and he explained. "About five years ago, my twenty-six year old nephew, Joseph, began dating an older woman. She said her name was Marina Fico, but I didn't notice anything odd about her- I figured she was just a cougar. Now, Joseph was a good kid- he got good grades, he worked as a waiter, and he was just all around a sweet boy. That's why we were all shocked when he violently murdered his next door neighbors, and when he was arrested, he wouldn't say what his motives were. Now, here's where things got stranger: while the trial was happening, Marina suddenly began to look much older. I figured it was stress, but after she bailed him out, I heard her tell him that she 'couldn't wait to feel young again'. A week later, we found him dead in his apartment, and Marina was gone along with all his money," Dr. Calvin picked up the photo again, glaring at her face. "She looks younger than the last time I saw her,"

"Do you think she might be a witch?" inquired Milo, intrigued. "From what you've said, it sounds like she's feeding off of their life force to keep herself young forever. Do you think that's possible?'

Dr. Calvin nodded. "We think that's exactly what she's doing. And we think James McAlroy may have been one of her victims,"

"No way," Tim shook his head. "Tom and I killed McAlroy!"

Aaleyah thought about this. "I see...then, she may have lost her chance to obtain McAlroy's life force, which means she had to find a new victim, and quickly. I'll search the records to see if she took any victims during 1924 or '25. As of now," she turned back to the computer, pulling up an audio file. "We'd like to play for you the interview with Mary, your mother. In this interview, she says some things we'd like you to elaborate on. Would you be all right with that?"

When the two boys didn't argue, Aaleyah pressed 'play', and the tape began.

"Your full name is Mary Ann Weaver, and your maiden name is Thatcher," it was Dr. Calvin talking, and he sounded somewhat nervous. "Am I correct about this?" there was a silence, and he asked again. "Did I get your name right?" when she still didn't answer, there was a rustling of papers. "Let's talk about your children. How many children did you and John have together?"

"Who?" asked Mary, her voice sounding tired.

"John Weaver, your husband. How many children did you two have together?"

Mary was silent, then she nearly whispered, "Three,"

There was another pause, and then Dr. Calvin cleared his throat. "Uh, no. Mary, dear, you have five children,"

" _I_ have five children," She growled, sounding annoyed. "John has three that are also mine,"

"Oh," some more papers rustled, and he asked, "Which children are John's, then?"

"All of them, except for two," she answered. The pitch of her voice had changed, and she sounded as if she were on the verge of tears. "The...the twins,"

Bloodgood looked over at Tim when Mary said this, but Tim just stared at his feet.

"Can you tell me about the twins?" asked Dr. Calvin. "When were they born?"

Mary was quiet for a long time. Then she answered, "The same time...the same time as when John's brother killed himself. The summertime,"

"Tom and I were born in the fall," Tim muttered, sounding upset.

"And," Mary continued. "They...they were different from the others. They were...like me, and I hated that,"

There was a pause, and Dr. Calvin asked, "And how were they different? How were they like you?"

Mary didn't answer. Instead, she began to shriek and sob loudly, and as Dr. Calvin watched his guests listen to the recording, he explained quietly, "This is where I had to end the interview. She started having some sort of anxiety attack here,"

The tape ended, and Aaleyah turned to Tim and Benny. "Do you have anything to add about that?"

"Well..." Benny rocked back and forth slowly. "Mama told me once that the twins were...changelings, and that the devil stole the real ones,"

"And when did she say this?" asked Bloodgood. "Tim and Tom are indeed your biological brothers, Benny,"

Benny just nodded. "Yeah, but...she told me that when Tom made like he was gonna bite me when I was feedin' him oatmeal,"

Aaleyah looked confused. "Why were you feeding him oatmeal? How old was he?"

"He was three," explained Benny. "And Mama and Papa weren't feeding him, so I had to do it,"

Tim stood up suddenly. "Can I go use the bathroom?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Of course, Tim," Bloodgood said gently, nodding. As Tim walked out, she turned to Milo and told him in a hushed tone, "Follow him, will you? Something's not right,"

As Milo entered the men's room, the sound of screaming hit his sensitive antennae, and he nearly ran away. However, he didn't, and he ran up to the stall where the screams were coming from. "Tim!" he knocked on the stall door, anxious. "Tim, what's going on!? Are you all right in there!?"

Poor Tim had lost his mind- he was kicking the wall behind him, punching the bath tissue dispenser, and overall having a meltdown inside the stall. This went on for about five more minutes, until his screams simmered down to low whimpers. After a moment, Milo gently knocked on the door, his hands shaking.

"Can you come out, please?" Milo called out in a soft voice. "You can come out, Tim. It's fine,"

The door opened slowly, and Tim was standing there, sobbing and trembling. Milo sighed at the sight, and he just wrapped those long, skinny arms around the boy.

"There, there, Tim," Milo soothed gently, stroking his back while he cried. "You're all right, now. You poor thing...oh, you remind me of my poor Samara,"

Tim lifted up his head slowly. "S-Samara?"

Milo pulled away, straightening out his shirt and saying, "Samara was a rogue soul who was put into my care, and I...well, I put her with a man who-" he stopped, then shook his head. "Never mind, I won't depress you any more with that story. But, she was the sweetest little creature one could lay eyes upon. Why, she was about your age when she lost her humanity,"

"Maybe she found a new friend," Tim suggested, trying to be hopeful.

"I hope for that, too," Milo nodded, looking away sadly. "I always pray for that,"

Early in the afternoon, Bloodgood returned home with the two boys, and as Tim sat in the living room quietly, Tom came to join him.

"Tom," Tim began, still a little upset. "I learned something today. Something...not good," when Tom just stared at him, Tim sighed, "Papa...well, John, isn't our father,"

Tom stood still, and then he just nodded slowly.

It took a moment for Tim to realize what his brother was telling him. "Wait- you know!? But, I don't understand. Did Mama tell you?"

Tom just shook his head, but he held up one finger as if to say, " _Wait a minute",_ and he took Tim's hand and led him out the door.

"Where are we going?" Tim asked as Tom tugged him along the sidewalk. "Can't you just talk for once?"

They stopped at the next door neighbor's mailbox, where Tom pointed to a peculiar design on the mailbox. It was a black bat, with a sort of golden crown design drawn above the head. As Tom just pointed at it, Tim leaned in to get a closer look. "What is it? I feel like I've seen it before, but I can't really remember where,"

As they examined the design, the door to the neighbor's house opened, and a voice called, "Uh, boys!? Boys, what are you doing here?" Tim looked up, seeing Nelly (whom Bloodgood had pointed out to him briefly earlier that month) standing on the porch, looking slightly worried. "Does Bloodgood know you're here?"

"She's cooking lunch," Tim explained as Nelly came closer. "Hey, can you tell us what this is?" he pointed to the picture on the mailbox.

Nelly looked at it, and she answered, "Oh, it belongs to the man I work for. It signifies that he's part of Transylvanian royalty. Of course..." she looked back at the house sadly. "He was relieved from duty years ago,"

Tim glanced back at the bat. "Well, Tom and I were just wondering, since we both feel like we've seen it before,"

Nelly rubbed her chin in thought. "Really, now? How about you come inside for a bit and talk to Lord Stoker, the owner? He's not exactly talkative at the moment, but perhaps he'd shed a little light on what the picture means,"

She led them to the front of the house.

 **Happy New Year, everybody! I just thought I'd post this before I have to go to school tomorrow...yay.**

 **But, the rest of the week is free (except for Wednesday, probably), since rehearsals don't officially begin until next week! This is also going to be my final High School show, since I graduate this year. Hopefully, none of my feels will leak out on to the stage...**

 **Any thoughts, comments, or theories regarding this chapter or the others? Let me know in your review, if you would be so kind!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

The Vampire

 **Warning: this chapter contains a bit of sexual content. It's very short and not too descriptive, but it's there.**

Nelly took the two boys inside, saying, "Now, Lord Stoker would prefer that you don't touch anything. See these?" she gestured to a collection of various oil lamps on a shelf. "He's especially protective of these,"

"Why?" Tim looked one over. "They're all dusty,"

"Nelly?" a voice called from the other room, getting the woman's attention. "Who is that? Is that my therapist?"

Nelly shook her head. "No, Stoker. Your therapist will be here in about an hour or two- she's running a little late. Two of the kids from next door are here to talk to you!"

"Kids!?" Stoker sounded very annoyed. "Why are there children here!? Are they boy scouts? What do they want?"

"Just come in here, sir!" Nelly snapped, irritated. "And don't be so rude; they're just kids."

There was a pause, and then a rhythmic clicking sound. Slowly, but steadily, Stoker came hobbling into the room on a crutch, and Tim noticed right away that he had a leg brace.

"Hey, Tom use to have one of those!" Tim pointed to the piece of metal. "Why do you have one? Did you have polio, too?"

Stoker looked baffled at the notion. "Polio!? Dear God, no! I've never had polio in my life! What do you want, masked children?"

"They want to know about the picture on your mailbox," Nelly explained. "You know, the bat?"

"Yeah," Tim nodded, stepping a little closer. "Tom and I feel like we've seen it before, but we don't know where. We were hoping you could tell us what it means,"

Stoker glanced at each boy, and he turned around, hobbling to another room. "Come with me- and don't touch anything!"

As Stoker led the boys to his office, Tim asked, "So, why do you have the brace and the crutch? What happened?"

"That's not what you came here to find out," Stoker sighed, sitting down in his armchair and opening the desk. "Let us stick to the task at hand, shall we?" he rooted through the papers, and he pulled out a pin with the same design on it. "Do you mean this one?"

"Yeah! Except, that's a pin, but that's the same one on your mailbox," Tim exchanged a glance with his brother, who simply nodded in agreement.

Stoker raised an eyebrow at Tom. "What's his issue? Why can't he talk?"

Tim and Tom exchanged a glance, and Tim answered simply, "He just doesn't,"

"Hm. Well, one child less I have to answer questions for. But, I don't particularly enjoy charades over real conversation," he went back to his desk and pulled out a small notebook with a pencil attached on a string. "Use this to communicate. The only way to get far in this world is to communicate properly. Take it, I have no use for it,"

As Tom tried to figure out how to hold the pencil in his twisted hand, Tim looked at the pin once more. "We've seen it before, but we can't think of where right now,"

Stoker put the pin back, sighing, "Then perhaps you boys should return home. I don't know who your are, and I don't- hey!" he noticed Tim pick up a picture of a woman off his desk, and he snatched it away. "Don't touch that!"

"Is that your wife?" Tim inquired. "She's got a cross necklace. I thought vampires didn't like those,"

"She's not my wife!" barked Stoker, setting the picture back up. "Now, is there anything else you want!?"

Just then, Tom nudged Tim a bit meekly, handing him the notepad with something written on it. "What is it, Tom?"

Tom's handwriting was rather illegible, but Tim understood the pencil-scratching after a few seconds of staring: " _mAma HAd a NEcklAce WitH thAt pIcturE_ "

"She did?" Tim asked out loud. "When did you see it?"

Tom didn't answer, but he turned the notebook to Stoker so he could read it. Stoker, however, made a face. "You must work on your handwriting, boy. And why would your mother own a Transylvanian necklace?"

" _ShE soLD IT to pAY OFF a DEBT,"_ Tom's answer read once he'd scribbled it down.

When Tim read this, he remembered what Tom was talking about. It was years ago: their father was off at war, Caleb was a toddler who constantly threw tantrums, and their mother was at the end of her rope and out of work. Desperate for money, Mary rooted through her dresser drawer while her twin sons watched, and she threw several pieces of jewelry on her bed, one right after the other. She stopped at the necklace, with the bat and the gold crown, and she stared at it wistfully for a moment before tossing it to the other jewelry pieces. Tom tried to grab it, and she smacked his hand.

"I do remember!" Tim nodded, turning back to Stoker. "She sold it so we could eat while Papa was at war,"

Stoker had a horrified look on his face. "She _sold_ it!? For how much!?"

Tim shrugged. "Dunno. Probably a lot, though,"

"I should hope so!" Stoker held up the necklace once more. "These are priceless, you can't get one like it unless you are royalty. I was presented with two, years ago, but I foolishly gave one to..." he stopped, and he set the picture of the woman down. "A-anyway, who is your mother? What is her maiden name?"

When neither twin seemed to know, Stoker waved them off. "Perhaps it's a coincidence. Now-"

Before he could continue, there was a knock at the door once again. "I'll get it!" chirped Nelly, rushing away to answer the door.

"Who is she, anyway?" asked Tim pointing to the picture.

Stoker never got a chance to answer, for Bloodgod walked in just then. "Boys!" she looked rather upset as she stopped before them and crossed her arms. "Why would you just wander off like that without telling me!? Do you have any idea how anxious I was? I thought you'd run away!"

"We wouldn't do that," Tim assured, sounding hurt. "You know we wouldn't,"

Bloodgood's look softened a little, and her voice quieted slightly. "I apologize, you too. However, you must tell me, Spectra or Jared before you go anywhere, all right?"

When Tim and Tom nodded, Bloodgood gestured to the door. "All right, now, you two. Head on home, your lunch is on the table. I'll be right after you," she turned to Stoker, the fire reappearing in her eyes. "I need to have a talk with Lord Stoker,"

The twins went to the door. "Bye, Stoker," Tim called back. "It was nice meeting you,"

"Goodbye, boys," he waved to them, and once they were gone, he looked back at Bloodgood. "What do you need, my dear neighbor? A cup of sugar?"

Nora Boodgood wasn't amused. "Stoker, why didn't you call me to tell me where the twins were!? Why didn't you tell them to go on home?! I was worried sick for them!"

"They're ghosts, Nora," sighed Stoker. "What could I have done to them? Suck their non-existent blood? Be realistic, darling. And, besides, they were curious about this," he pulled out the necklace showing it off. "Now, wouldn't it have been rude of me to send them off without some information?"

"Oh, please," scoffed Nora. "You don't think your manipulation and abuse of those around you for hundreds of years was 'rude'?"

Stoker's attitude changed, and he leaned a little closer to her. "No," he answered curtly, his fangs showing. "It was necessary. I had to keep a nation from falling apart, so I did what I had to,"

"Really, now!?" exclaimed Nora. "Well, look where it landed you, almighty Lord Stoker! Whatever happened to that first servant of yours? Did he finally come to his senses and leave?"

All of the sudden, Stoker got a hold of the tie Nora was wearing and yanked it down so he could look directly into her eyes. "Listen here!" he snapped, enraged. "You may scold me for not returning your masked brats, but do not mock me! Be an adult, you wench!"

Nora smacked his hand away. "Don't you dare grab me like that! And what about your niece? Does she ever talk to you?"

"Go away!" Stoker nearly yelled, standing up while leaning on the desk for support. "Do not bring up the past! Leave, now!"

"You don't tell me what to do!" Bloodgood snarled, raising a hand and acting like she would hit him.

Stoker just laughed at her. "You're going to slap me? You're going to do something you beg your students not to do to each other? Please do!"

Both of the adults stopped what they were doing when they realized Nelly was standing in the doorway, just watching everything. As Stoker brushed himself off and sat back down, he said calmly, "Why, Nelly, if you're so intrigued, why don't you pull up a chair and listen to us?"

Nelly snorted, turning and walking away. "Thought you two were about to make out or something. I'm not interested, now!"

When she was gone, Bloodgood tucked her tie back in and cleared her throat. "W-well. How about we both act like adults and go our separate ways?"

Stoker leaned on his crutch as he stood up, saying, "I just want to know about those children. Who are they?"

"Legally, I can't tell you everything," she sighed, smoothing her hair back. "But, I can say that-" she stopped when she saw that Stoker was staring directly into her face, and she got a bit uneasy. "Stoker?"

"What?" he had a strange sort of smile on his face. "Tell me more, Nora,"

Something was off.

Bloodgood looked to the door, and she tried to leave. "M-maybe I should-" she stopped; an instinct she forgot she had was telling her to stay put, and she listened. "W-what are you doing?"

Stoker's hand got her by the chin, pulling her towards him in a manner that was anything but gentle. "Nothing, dear! Absolutely nothing!"

Nora barely even knew what was happening, as her mind descended into a strange blur. Before she knew it, she was on Stoker's lap, kissing him, and he was doing filthy things to her with his hands and fingers. He didn't stop until she yelped and grabbed his wrist, her body shaking, and he gently moved her out of the way to push himself up using the desk.

Probably about ten minutes later, she'd wound up in his bed (which was in the living room, possibly because he couldn't access the stairs), and she was lying on her back while questioning her life choices. Stoker was next to her, lighting a cigar he'd taken out of the drawer beside his bed.

"Would you like one?" he asked, offering a cigar to her. "It's cream flavored,"

"N-no thank you," Bloodgood answered, still shaking from the exertion. She sat up and turned to him, eyes wide. "I...Stoker, how did you know I wanted that?"

Stoker just smiled, puffing out cigar smoke. It made him smell like vanilla. "I have my ways,"

There was another knock at the door, and Nelly yelled, "It's your therapist!"

When he heard that, Stoker's face fell. "The therapist!? Oh, God damn it! Nora, where are my clothes!?"

"Right next to you," she answered, getting up and re-dressing. "I have to go home, now,"

Stoker just nodded, reaching for his crutch. "I know, I know. Nelly, tell her to wait a few minutes,"

Nelly poked her head in the room, grimaced, and then left. "Of course,"

When Bloodgood was finally dressed, she got up and headed for the door, only to be met by a sullen-looking middle-aged woman with black hair. "Oh!" Bloodgood shook her hand, smiling. "Hello, there! I'm Nora Bloodgood, Lord Stoker's neighbor. It's nice to meet you,"

The therapist didn't smile back. "My name is Melissa Burton, and a part of your shirt is unbuttoned,"

Embarrassed, Bloodgod fixed it. "Why, I'm sorry you had to see that! Thank you for telling me,"

"Where's Stoker?" Mrs. Burton asked.

"In the living room," Bloodgood answered quickly, walking out. "We were just talking, I swear!"

After Bloodgood arrived back home, Spectra noticed something was strange about her behavior. "Are you all right, Bloodgood?"

Bloodgood waved her off, sitting down with a sigh. "Oh, I'm quite all right. Did anybody call or anything while I was gone?"

"Yeah, Dr. Calvin called," Spectra explained. "He said that if you ever want the children to form good relationships, they should have positive interactions with some more children. He wanted to know if we knew anyone with children,"

"Oh, we certainly do!" Bloodgood answered. "Several of your former classmates have children, now. Maybe we should invite them over,"

Spectra nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great! Do you think we should-" she stopped, wrinkling her nose. "Why do you smell like vanilla?"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Other Kids

That evening, Spectra got into contact with several of her old classmates to arrange something for the next weekend. She sent out lengthy Emails, where she explained who the Weaver kids were and how much they would love to have playmates (of course, Dr. Calvin also advised Spectra send a link to an article that explained what to do if a rogue soul attacks a child, and Spectra sent it along as a precaution). The next morning, she heard back from four former classmates: Heath and Abbey, and Draculaura and Clawd.

As she and Bloodgood discussed arrangements with the parents, Dr. Wing got wind of what was going on and asked if he could come along with Duncan and their rogue souls. The parents were concerned at the mention of more rogue souls, but they didn't complain at the idea. Clawd and Draculaura agreed to host the little get-together at their new house, which was out in the countryside near some woods and had a huge hill for sledding. It had also snowed considerably over the week, so sledding was certainly going to be the main activity. The week passed by without problems, and soon it was Saturday.

"Are you sure about this?" Jared asked a bit nervously, wringing his hands as Spectra packed a bag full of necessities.

Spectra nodded. "Of course. I think we can trust the kids around other kids, you have nothing to worry about,"

"Well, okay, but," Jared stared down at his feet, sighing. "That wasn't what I was talking about,"

It took Spectra a moment to realize what Jared's concerns were. "Oh, Jared, I...didn't think about that. Heath is going to be there, isn't he?" When Jared nodded, Spectra tried to think of a solution. "Hmm. Well, would you like to stay here? I mean, you haven't talked to-"

"I'd rather not confront Heath, if that's all right with you," Jared spoke up, his voice a bit quiet. "But, I was wondering if I could get a ride to Starlight Square Mall? My boyfriend is helping to open up a chain there, and I was wondering if I could take the bus to hang out with him,"

"I..." Spectra remembered how excited Caleb was at the idea of playing in the snow with Jared, but she knew that this visit would only get awkward if Jared and Heath were in the same house with one another. "Yeah, sure. Ask Bloodgood's permission first, though,"

"I will," Jared answered, turning and walking out. "Thank you,"

It was around 4:30 when Bloodgood tried to get everyone in the van. As Caleb climbed into the back, he noticed Jared's silhouette in the house window.

"Isn't Jared coming?" he asked, a bit saddened.

"No, Caleb," Bloodgood explained gently, ushering the boy into the backseat. "He's going out later. You'll see him tonight,"

They drove out to the countryside where Clawd and Draculaura recently moved, and Spectra noticed their house from a distance. "Wow!" she marveled at the house, with its red shutters and large windows. "How on Earth did they afford this place? What does Clawd do for a living?"

Bloodgood simply chuckled. "Miss Vondergeist, you forget that Draculaura is the daughter of a millionaire who is more than a thousand years old. You shouldn't have to wonder how they got this house,"

They pulled into the driveway, and before they even left the car, Draculaura came running to greet them. "Hi, everyone!" she squealed, throwing her arms around Bloodgood and then Spectra. "I was so excited to see you, I could hardly wait! Oh, how are you?"

"We're quite well, thank you," Bloodgood nodded with a smile. "How are you, Miss Laura?"

"Oh, I'm fine!" Eagerly, she tried to look over Spectra's shoulder. "Where are the kids? Dodger was dying to meet them- oh, no pun intended!"

Spectra just laughed, turning back to the car, where Lillian was the first to step out. Draculaura took one look at Lillian and gasped.

"My goodness!" She knelt down to the ghostly child's level, grinning with her fanged teeth. "Hello, there! Spectra, where did you find her?! She's adorable!"

When Lillian's brows knitted together in an irritated fashion, Spectra remembered that Lillian wasn't fond of this kind of attention. "She was in the woods with the others," Spectra explained, drawing the girl near. "Hey, you know, where's Dodger? Is he still inside?"

"Yeah, and so are Heath and Abbey! They came earlier with Icer. Come on in!" as Draculaura turned up the driveway, Tim nudged Spectra.

"'Dodger'?" he repeated, sounding confused. "'Icer'? Why are they named like that?"

Spectra shrugged. "They have reasons, I guess,"

Upon entering, Draculaura ushered everybody inside. "Now, come right in. The boys are playing video games in the living room last I checked,"

When the guests were inside, Clawd was the first to walk up to them. "Hey, everyone! We were wondering when you'd get here! I hope we weren't hard to find,"

"You most certainly weren't, Clawd," smiled Bloodgood, shaking his hand. "Your house is beautiful,"

Clawd and Draculaura both nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, ma'am," Clawd's smile faded a bit at the sight of the kids (he had especially expressed anxiety regarding the children) but he went to greet them nonetheless. "So, you're the Weaver kids, huh?" he looked over each child carefully. "I'd heard of you, but I've never actually seen you until now. How are you liking it here?"

"We like it a lot!" exclaimed Caleb, happy to be receiving some attention. "My new bed is my favorite!"

Just then, a shrill voice called from another room, "Are they here!?"

"Yes, Dodger," Clawd called back. "But please be-"

Before he could finish, Dodger came skidding into the room, with Icer close behind. "Wow!" Dodger stopped and marveled at the Weavers, his ears twitching with excitement. "It's really you!"

Tim cocked his head to the side. "I...don't understand?"

"We know you!" piped up Icer, but he retracted shyly when all eyes focused on him. "Well...We just met you, but we know who you are!"

Dodger nodded excitedly. "Totally! We watch normie TV channels all the time, and there's this one show called, 'Mysterious Myths and Legendary Legends' that's all about ghost stories and monsters and stuff, and it's funny to see how scared normies are of ghosts! But anyway, there was an episode about you guys!"

"About us!?" Benny was shocked. "We were on the TV!?"

"Yeah!" Dodger was absolutely ecstatic. "They talked about how nobody was really sure how you-"

Clawd cut him off at that moment, incredibly anxious. "Okay! That's enough about your show! Say, why don't you and Icer show them the game you were playing?"

Icer nodded, gesturing to the next room. "Yeah, come on, you guys! Were playing 'Times Attack'. Come on, we'll show you how to play,"

As they left, Clawd let out a breath. "Sorry about him," he muttered to Spectra. "He loves TV shows about urban legends, ghost stories and conspiracy theories. If you're lucky, he'll tell you his entire theory about JFK,"

"I don't mind at all," Spectra giggled, glancing off to the other room. "And I think the kids don't mind, either. Dodger's adorable by the way,"

Draculaura grinned, going to the cabinet to prepare some drinks. "Thank you, Spectra. He's my little precious puppy!"

In the living room, Heath and Abbey were by the couch as the children entered. Heath looked up from the puzzle he and Flarah were working on, and his eyes widened at the sight of the Weaver kids. "Oh, hey there! How are all of you?"

"Fine," answered Tim, looking at Heath with curiosity. "You have very strange skin. What are you?"

"We're fire elementals," Icer explained very matter-of-factly. "Well, he is, anyway. My sisters and I are hybrids- see?" he showed off his icy claws to his new friends. "My mom's a yeti,"

Abbey, who was in the corner tending to Sirchsa, glanced up at the children as well, though she said nothing. Lillian noticed Sirchsa right away, and she hovered over to the toddler. "Your baby has white hair, like a grandma," Lillian observed. "Why?"

"Because she is of the snow," answered Abbey, pulling Sirchsa close to her in a protective manner. "She is a yeti baby. Why you wear dirty rabbit costume?"

Lillian looked down at her shirt front and shrugged. "I don't know, because I like it,"

Icer and Dodger showed their new friends how to play the video game (Caleb wasn't terribly interested in video or computer games, so he wandered off and watched Heath and Flarah complete the puzzle), while Tom sat and watched them, occasionally writing something down in his journal. Spectra entered a few minutes later with a drink in her hand, and she noticed Tom writing in the journal.

"What do you have there, Tom?" Spectra inquired, sitting beside him. Tom looked up at her, and her turned the page to show her what he'd written.

" _ThEy SEeem nIcE, buT Theey are TOO LoUd. ThIS GamE is ANNOYing,"_

Spectra gasped in surprise. "Wow, Tom! I guess I didn't realize you could talk to us by writing! We should really work on your handwriting, though,"

Heath and Flarah had completed the puzzle, and Heath got up to talk to the other adults. Now alone, Flarah trotted up to Caleb.

"Hi!" she greeted him, reaching up and touching his hair.

Caleb retracted a bit, surprised by the touch. "What?"

"Funny hair," she giggled, trying to touch him again.

Annoyed by her presence, Caleb huffed and moved away from her. "When are we going sledding!? I'm bored, I don't want to play with this baby!"

"Caleb, I told you," Spectra assured calmly, trying to make sure he didn't have some kind of meltdown. "We'll go sledding once Milo gets here with the others," she looked towards the front door, a bit concerned. "I hope he was able to find the place,"

In the kitchen, Bloodgood was busy catching up with her old students. "Whatever became of Toralei?" she inquired, pouring herself a drink. "She had a son last I knew,"

"She's up in the city visiting family," explained Draculaura. "We're still not really friends, but I do keep in touch with her sometimes. Her son is a sweetheart,"

Bloodgood simply nodded. "Ah, I see. Now, her son, his father is...?"

The others exchanged nervous glances, and Clawd answered, "Well, uh...You see, Napoleon is his father,"

"What!?" Bloodgood's mouth fell open in astonishment. "That's...surprising! I thought she had an abortion,"

Heath shook his head. "Nah. From what I understand, it sounds like she was going to, but her parents convinced her not to. We're all glad she didn't get one, he and Icer are good friends,"

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Draculaura was up in a flash to answer. "Those must be your friends!"

She opened the door, and she gasped a bit at the giant mantis standing at the door. Milo just smiled at her, reaching out to shake her hand. "Hey, how are doing? Draculaura, right?"

"I-I..." after a moment, she accepted the hand shake. "I'm fine, thank you! And...you must be Milo Wing,"

He nodded his huge head. "In deed I am. I take you've never seen someone of my kind before?"

"Oh, I've only seen spider-folk before!" explained Draculaura, slowly becoming more comfortable around him. "They're nice monsters- well, some of them. Where are your friends?"

"Back there still," Milo gestured to the driveway. "We've got someone in a wheelchair. That's not an inconvenience, is it?"

Draculaura gestured for him to come in. "Of course not! I'll wait around and offer help if they need it. You go in and make yourself at home!"

While Milo was inside getting antiquated with everyone, Duncan entered the house as he pushed Shaye along in a wheelchair. "Hey, everyone! Sorry we're late, we showed up at your neighbor's house by mistake! She pointed us in the right direction, though,"

Clawd nodded, shaking hands with Duncan. "I'm glad you had some help. You met Zelda Smith, right?"

"Why, yes!" answered Milo, going to the help Kaya, Toshio and Emily with their coats. "Sweet woman, isn't she?"

"Oh, we barely know her that well," Clawd explained. "She has huge parties every Friday night, and they get really loud. We considered calling someone about it, but she just seems so sweet,"

Shaye spoke up suddenly, "She's a witch! She smells like lighter fluid."

"You're probably a witch," mumbled Emily, walking up and grabbing Duncan's pant leg. She looked up at him. "Where are the other kids?"

"In the living room," answered Bloodgood, smiling at her. "Once everyone gets situated, you can all go sledding. How does that sound?"

Duncan ushered Toshio and Emily into the other room, saying, "Yeah, come on, guys! Kaya can supervise you,"

Milo looked annoyed when Duncan said this. "Duncan, Kaya can't- oh, whatever. I can watch them,"

"Thank you, Milo," smiled Bloodgood, sipping her drink. "Hopefully, everything turns out all right,"

 **Hey, everyone! Sorry about the uneventfulness of this chapter, but I have a headache right now so I have to cut this right here. Next chapter will be better, I promise!**

 **Questions, comments or theories? As always, let me know in your review!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:  
White Winter Hymnal

The snow was thick and cold, just as snow should be. The children played around on sleds Dodger had brought up from the basement, and they had quite the time on that steep hill. Even Tom was enjoying himself, though he stayed rooted to Tim for the majority of the time.

Lillian, however, just watched the other children play from the back porch. She hovered a few feet off the ground to avoid touching the snow, stroking Honey Bunny's ears all the while. The children ignored Lillian for the most part, until Toshio noticed her from a few feet away.

"Don't you wanna play with us?" Toshio inquired, his pale hands shoved deep into his jacket pocket. "We're having lots of fun,"

Lillian scowled at the snow and hovered up a bit higher. "I don't wanna get my feet wet. I hate getting wet!"

Toshio tilted his head curiously. "Why? Are you scared of water?"

"Don't make fun of me!" snapped Lillian, holding Honey Bunny close. "You wouldn't understand,"

"Oh, don't get angry," Toshio begged innocently. "I was scared of water, too. But, Mar and I love the snow very much! It's different from water,"

Lillian looked up, confused. "Who's Mar?"

At this moment, a black cat popped out from under Toshio's jacket and meowed loudly. As Lillian looked at the cat in interest, Toshio explained. "This is Mar. He's my cat- he's a rogue soul, like we are,"

"Animals can be like us, too?" she asked, surprised.

Mar began to wander towards the woods, and Lillian and Toshio began to follow him. "I guess so," answered Toshio, balancing on a tree branch. "Mama says that a rogue soul is 'any spirit that is left behind'. That means the _shi no tenshi_ doesn't come to get us,"

"What's that?" Lillian wanted to know. "What does it mean?"

Toshio thought about it. "I...I don't know how to put it in English words, but he wears black and carries a big sword. He takes the people who die, but sometimes, he just...doesn't come for them. That's why we get left here,"

This sentiment silenced Lillian for quite some time, and she and Toshio continued to follow Mar throughout the thicket of trees. They didn't get too far, however, as a voice began to call after them.

"Hey, Toshio! Lillian!" it was Caleb. "Kaya's here!"

Toshio scooped his cat back up quickly, turning around to see his mother standing several feet away with Caleb at her side. As Lillian and Toshio made their way towards the two, Kaya began to walk to meet them. Yet, she seemed to have trouble walking, so she got down on all fours and crawled instead.

"Toshio," Kaya began once she'd reached the two. "Naze anata wa hanareta nodesu ka? Milo wa shinpai shite ita,"

Toshio responded, "Mama, chōdo aruite ita,"

"I don't know what you're saying," admitted Caleb. "But I like how it sounds!"

Kaya glanced down at Caleb, and she gave a slight laugh. She turned back to Lillian and remarked, "I was inside house, talking to your mother's friends, and I thought, 'these grown-ups are boring'. So, I came to find you,"

"Our mother?" Caleb cut in, confused. "Spectra's not our mother!"

"She could be," suggested Kaya. "She takes care of you," though Kaya did not elaborate about whether she meant Bloodgood or Spectra, this statement made Lillian think.

Mar rubbed up against Kaya's leg, and Toshio asked, "Mama, could you tell Lillian about shi no tenshi? She wants to know what it is,"

"Shi no tenshi?" repeated Kaya, rubbing her chin. "You want to know? It is what you call 'Grim Reaper', 'Angel of Death'. He takes souls, but..." she looked at Toshio sadly. "Not all souls,"

"How do you know so much about ghosts and all that?" asked Caleb. "I'm one, and I don't know that much about myself!"

Kaya smiled faintly. "Ah. My mother was an 'Itako', what you would call an 'exorcist'. She told my sister and I lots of things about ghosts, 'onryos',"

At this point, the other children had wandered over and were listening to Kaya talk. She had a sweet, gentle voice, and this made her very nice to listen to.

"We are onryos," she went on to explain, pleased at the attention. "Dead, but...not. We are angry, bitter, but we change if we find happiness. This is what I hope for my sister, but I do not know where she is,"

"You have a sister?" asked Tim, interested. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Naoko," Kaya sounded sad. "She became an onryo, too, after my husband..." she trailed off, and her head dropped down suddenly. A low groaning noise rose from her throat, and her hair dangled over her face.

Icer took a step back, concerned. "Is she okay?"

"She does this sometimes," answered Toshio, sounding irritated more than anything else. "Mama, Shite kudasai, kokode wanai,"

Kaya snapped her head back up suddenly, her neck cracking audibly as she did so. "My husband went inside the body of Naoko's boyfriend," she explained quickly. "And he made him kill her. My husband is not an onryo- he is a dark spirit. All that remains is his spirit, because he only stayed in the Underworld for very short time, though we do not know who released him,"

"So, he's..." Dodger looked out into the woods nervously. "He's still out there?"

Toshio shuddered at the thought. "He can't hurt us, but I still worry,"

Tim thought about McAlroy for a moment, and he shook his head. "Hey, maybe we should go back inside," he suggested. "It's getting pretty dark,"

As everyone headed back towards the house, a strange and cold wind began to blow. Kaya stopped in her tracks, and she turned around to where it was coming from. Her eyes narrowed, and she whispered harshly, "Watashitachi ni makasete, Takeo,"

Clawd and Draculaura apparently could not decide what to serve for dinner, so they'd set out a bunch of random food and let everybody choose for themselves. As the children squirreled away some food and stayed in the living room to watch a movie, the adults (except for Kaya and Duncan, who'd both disappeared earlier) sat around the table and chatted.

"So, Milo," began Heath, pouring himself a glass of ginger ale. "What is it you do, exactly? Are you just a doctor for monsters?"

Milo shrugged, and he answered, "More specifically, I treat the undead. Ghosts, zombies, rogue souls, you name it. I used to work at a morgue before this job,"

"Interesting," Heath remarked. After a pause, he asked, "Can I ask something else? This is just something I've been curious about,"

"Of course!" Milo responded, pleased. "What is it?"

Heath was quiet, then he asked, "Have you ever bitten anyone's head off?"

When Milo just gave Heath an irritated look, Clawd just shook his head. "Heath, what the hell?"

Milo just waved both of them off. "Fine, fine. No, I've ever decapitated anyone. I'm hemophobic, you see? I have a fear of blood, which is why I only work with the undead. Live patients take the starch right out of my system the minute they show me a gaping wound,"

Abbey raised an eyebrow when Milo said this. "I...do not understand. What doctor cannot operate?"

"Oh, the dead ones are fine," Milo assured quickly. "It's the live ones who are the real problem. Luckily, Bloodgood's one of my few live patients, and she almost never shows up bleeding,"

"Mr. Wing," Draculaura spoke up. "Have you considered going vegetarian? I have hemophobia, too, but I'm vegan and I take supplements. Would that work for you?"

Milo shook his head, taking a bite of chicken. "I'm afraid I can't change my diet any even if I wanted to. I'm a carnivore, I can't survive on just plants and supplements. Unlike you, if I went without animal products for a long time, I might go feral. And that wouldn't be good..."

At this moment, Shaye rolled up to the table on her wheelchair. "Hi, everyone! I'm Shaye St. John!" she announced giddily. "Did you know that I finally sold that bucket of bones HG Wells gave my best friend Kiki at the premiere of 'War of the Worlds'? It sold for ten Hot Pockets!"

There was a long pause, and Heath asked, "Is there something wrong with her? What is she?"

"She used to be a super-model before she got run over," explained Milo with a sigh, getting up. "Come on, now, Shaye. Let's walk around, shall we?"

As Milo helped Shaye out of her wheelchair and walked around the house with her, she began to sing, " _How I love to sing with you! Just the two of us! La, la la..."_

It was around 7:30 PM when everyone began to leave.

Spectra went up to the couch where Lillian was sleeping and shook her awake. "Hey, come on. You ready to go home?"

Lillian lifted her head up slowly, rubbing her eye. "Already?"

"Yeah," Spectra lifted her up, grabbing Honey Bunny as well. "Did you have a good time?"

"Uh-huh," Lilian answered, waving goodbye to Toshio and Mar. "We can come back soon, can we?"

Spectra nodded. "Of course! We're actually planning on having Christmas at Milo's house. Does that sound good?"

"Yes," Lillian responded.

As Spectra and Bloodgood got everyone in the car, Lillian turned to Spectra once again. "Mama, will I get to play with Toshio again?"

"Oh, sure. You can-" she stopped suddenly, looking up at Lillian in alarm. "Wha...what did you call me?"

Lillian only smiled and looked out at the stars, stroking Honey Bunny's ears while humming a nursery rhyme. Spectra couldn't stop thinking about this as they drove home, and she was silent for most of the ride.

Upon arriving home, Bloodgood made the discovery that Jared wasn't there. "Odd," she remarked, looking around. "He said he'd be back by now," she noticed that there was a message on the answering machine, and she pressed a button to play it.

"Hey, Bloodgood, everyone," It was Jared, and his voice was a little quiet and shaky. "I'm going to be spending the night at a hotel with my boyfriend since I haven't seen him for so long. I should be back by tomorrow morning. See you then," the call ended, and Bloodgood pursed her lips together, thinking.

"Something's not right," she murmured to herself. Something about Jared's voice was...off.

Despite this, she went upstairs to remove her makeup. As she got a makeup wipe out of the package, she was suddenly struck with a slight bought of nausea, and she gripped the sink and ducked her head down. She didn't vomit, thankfully, but something else happened instead.

As Bloodgood retrieved her makeup wipe and rubbed off half of her makeup, she saw the refection of a man standing behind her in the mirror, and she jumped in alarm, whirling around. However, there was no one.

She took a moment to compose herself, and she tried to clean her face once more. Once again, she saw the man, only this time he was actually right behind her, and she recognized him almost immediately.

"McAlroy!" she yelped, and he leaped at her suddenly, a desperate look in his eyes. She ducked under the sink and pressed her eyes shut, breathing hard. When she opened them again, he was gone.

Her breaths coming out in shaky pants, Bloodgood pulled out her phone and dialed Dr. Calvin's number.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:  
Unconditional

 **Warning: this chapter may abuse your feels. Proceed with caution.**

Jared didn't return until 10:00 AM that morning.

As the front door opened, Caleb rushed to it immediately, jumping up and down enthusiastically.

"Jared! You're back!"

Jared gave a laugh, kneeling down and ruffling Caleb's hair. "Hey, kid! How's everything? Oh, hang on, I have something for you!" he pulled a slinky out of his pocket, handing it over. "I got it from the hotel gift shop! You like it?"

Caleb rolled the slinky around experimentally, remarking, "It's so...weird,"

"Hey, do you know what's fun?" Jared stood up, beginning to walk away. "Put it on top of the stairs and push it down. That's always fun to do,"

As Caleb went off to play with the slinky, Jared headed to Bloodgood's office. The door was open, so he just walked inside.

"I'm here," he announced, getting her attention.

Bloodgood looked up from her laptop, saying, "Oh, hello, Jared! How was it?"

"It was great, but..." he glanced over his shoulder, and he took a seat beside Bloodgood. "I gotta talk to you,"

The slinky got boring after a while, and Caleb wondered what else he could do with it. However, he overheard some talking, and he turned to listen.

"Are you sure, Jared?" Bloodgood sounded upset. "I mean, you were suicidal last time-"

"And I still am," Jared cut in, his voice thick. "Bloodgood, Ramses asked me to marry him,"

Bloodgood gasped. "Really!? Oh, Jared! What did you say?"

"Yes," he answered curtly. "I told him 'yes'. I'm going back to Grand Island, Ma'am,"

Caleb gasped softly, and he scuttled forward to listen more.

"Are you sure?" Bloodgood wanted to know, sounding concerned. "You're very unstable, I don't know if that's a good idea,"

Jared just sighed. "I'm not even sure if it's a good idea either. But, I love him, and he loves me. That's all that matters,"

There was a pause, and Bloodgood spoke up again, her voice quieter. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What happened last night, Jared?" Bloodgood's voice hardened. "On that message you sent me, you sounded very upset. Did something happen?"

Jared did a strange sort of laugh. "What are you talking about? Can't you just accept that I just want to get married!?"

"Tell me the truth," Bloodgood was getting very irritated. "Do not lie, Mr. Parker. Now, let me ask you again: what happened?"

After a long, painful pause, Jared burst into tears. "Okay, fine!" he sobbed, shaking his head. "You want the truth!? Well, here it is!" He looked up at her, the tears streaming down his face. "Bloodgood, I got attacked last night,"

"What!?" Bloodgood stood up quickly, going to look him over. "Oh, Jared! Where are you hurt!?"

"My shoulder," he pulled part of his shirt down, showing her a deep gash on his shoulder that was mostly bandaged. "I-I was waiting at a pub for Ramses, and a group of coyotes showed up and started harassing me. It was that same group that harassed me a few weeks ago, and the leader of the group said he wanted to get back at me for embarrassing him. I tried to walk away, but he threw a beer bottle at me and it shattered,"

Bloodgood nodded slowly. "That's where you wound came from. What else happened?"

Jared wiped at his eyes, continuing. "The bartender didn't help me, and he just laughed at me, too. Then, they dragged me out and threw me on the ground, and they...they gave me this," he pulled up part of his sleeve to reveal that the words, " _I'M A RAPIST, A PIG AND A MURDERER. PLEASE KILL ME"_ had been branded on to his arm. "I screamed for help, but nothing happened,"

"Oh, my God, Jared!" Bloodgood was nearly in tears. "Jared, you need to call the police!"

"And what would that do!?" his voice sounded strained. "They'd never believe me! The police here know what I did. They know who I am, and they'd just laugh at me! Besides, I guess I deserved it, Bloodgood. I just...I just need to leave so I can put my past behind me,"

Bloodgood was horrified. "Deserved it!? No! Does Ramses know what happened!?"

Jared nodded. "Y-yeah, he drove up to the bar and saw what was happening, and I don't know what he did to them, but I heard him say that we needed to leave. He took me back to the hotel and took a bath with me. That was when he proposed, and he promised to protect me no matter what. Even though I said yes, I honestly felt like killing myself, and I was going to do it, but Ramses..." he trailed off, and he let out another loud sob. "Ramses just held me the entire night, and I realized how much he loved me, and I didn't want to hurt him, too. He's the only reason I'm alive right now,"

"Jared, dear," Bloodgood's voice trembled, and she embraced him. As he hugged her back, she whispered to him, "Try to get those awful, awful words on your arm removed, all right?"

As Jared rose up and walked out of the office, Caleb stopped him. "You're leaving?" he asked, sounding betrayed.

Jared said nothing, and he walked up to his bedroom.

Much later, Caleb wandered into Jared's room, watching him pack his things.

"Why do you have to go?" Caleb inquired.

Jared stopped, and he turned around. He'd stopped weeping, but he still looked sullen and upset. "I just need to get out of here, kid," he answered quietly. "You...you wouldn't understand,"

"Yeah, I would!" Caleb protested, climbing up on the bed. "What did you do, Jared?"

After a moment, Jared took a deep breath. "Caleb, you'll hate me if I tell you,"

Caleb shook his head. "No, I wouldn't. You're wrong,"

"Caleb!" Jared flopped down on the bed, defeated. "All right, fine," he rolled over to look at Caleb, a strange sadness in his eyes. "I killed two people, and I...hurt someone else,"

"So?" Caleb tilted his head to the side quizzically. "That's only three people,"

Jared sat up, aghast. " _O_ _nly_ three people!? Caleb, do you have any idea-" he stopped, and sighed. "You know what? Never mind. I just feel really bad about what I did, but it seems like no matter how many times I try to change or apologize, nobody ever believes me. Even the doctors at the hospital I stayed at about a year ago didn't trust me, and once a nurse threatened to punch me because I wouldn't eat anything. You're lucky, Caleb- you have people who want to see you change and get better, but me? Even though I have people who support me, like my mom and my boyfriend and Bloodgood of course, everyone else despises me. They want me dead, they say I should have stayed dead, and sometimes..." he got choked up, and he turned away. "Sometimes I consider giving them what they want,"

"Don't listen to them!" Caleb insisted. "They're just jerks who don't get it. If they don't listen when you say 'sorry', then they're not true friends!"

Jared gave a laugh, and he ran a hand through Caleb's hair. "Thanks kid, I appreciate it," there was a pause, and he hugged Caleb tightly. "Love you, kid. All of you guys- I'm gonna miss you," he pulled away, wiping at his eyes. "You make me wish I could see my little girl again. I know I can't, but it's just wishful thinking,"

That evening, after dinner, everyone hugged Jared and bid him farewell. As Caleb reached up to hug Jared, Caleb whispered tearfully, "Please don't go,"

"I'll come back to visit," Jared assured gently. "I love you, and I'm gonna miss you,"

He pulled away and opened the door. Caleb watched from the window as the father he never had got into a sleek, fancy car and closed the door.

As the car drove off, Caleb somberly scuttled upstairs, and Tim followed after his younger brother. When Tim reached their room, he listened to Caleb sniffling from within his torn-up bed.

"Caleb, come on," Tim reached into the bedding, trying to locate him. "You can't stay in there all night,"

"Yes, I can!" Caleb sobbed. "Go away! I don't want you,"

There was a pause, and Tim turned around and walked out. "Whatever, I guess,"

After all the children had been put to bed, Bloodgood sat down at her desk to a stack of papers the SCP had dropped off to her. They were reported findings from within the Weaver house, including a few unmailed letters and diary entries from Mary's journal. As she rooted through the papers, Spectra entered the office.

"Hey, Bloodgood?" she spoke up, getting her attention. "We're going to Milo's house for Christmas dinner, correct?"

Bloodgood nodded, still glancing at each paper. "Yes, dear. Are you sure you didn't want to visit your family?"

"I'm going to see them the day after," assured Spectra. "But, I wanted to know- I invited someone over, is that all right?"

"Who did you invite, dear? An old classmate?"

Spectra shook her head. "No, actually. I invited Stoker, since I was talking to Nelly earlier this morning while I was shoveling, and she said that Stoker had nowhere to go for Christmas. So, I..." she trailed off, noticing the look on Bloodgood's face. "Bloodgood?"

Bloodgood tried to hold back an outraged yell. "Why...couldn't you have asked me this morning!?"

"Y-you were busy, so I...Bloodgood, is everything all right? What happened?"

"That's none of your concern!" snapped Bloodgood, more irritable than usual. "Now, I need you to..." she stopped, brow furrowing at a paper she'd picked up. "Hang on just a moment..."

Spectra was very confused. "Ma'am?"

After a moment, Bloodgood lifted her head up, a strange smile spread on her face. "Actually...make sure he does come to dinner. I found something that will change everything,"

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter was a bit of a downer. But, the next chapter will be more cheerful! Hopefully...**

 **You're probably thinking: "Nova, you scum! Why are you posting at this time of day!? Aren't you a high school student? Why aren't you at school?"**

 **Well, the answer to that is it is Midterms week, and because I took all my tests last week, I don't have to go to school this week! I still have to go to musical rehearsals (I'm going in tonight...it's a dancing night, God help us), but don't be surprised if I post again this week.**

 **Questions, comments or theories? Let me know in your review!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Christmas Eve

It was December 24th.

The children were excited for Christmas, as their past Christmases with John and Mary were rather dull. Mary never decorated the house- she would just stick a crucifix in the corner of the room and pray feverishly to it every December evening (it is also worth noting that she did the same thing at Easter). On Christmas Eve, John would take Benny (and sometimes Caleb) out to the market to buy a turkey or chicken for their dinner, though John would always cover his face with a thin sheet. This was significant since John almost never left the house for anything, but he would take the boys during a time of day when almost no one was around. As for presents, each child usually got just one gift, and it was always something small and cheap. Christmases at the Weaver household weren't really as special as they should have been.

However, this Christmas was going to be different: Tim had peeked quickly into the basement to see that there were, in fact, more than five wrapped gifts, which excited him. There were lots of decorations and even a Christmas tree, which the children had helped Spectra decorate the day before. Yet, Spectra was surprised to find that the children didn't seem to know what the purpose of stockings was.

"You never had these?" Spectra asked, holding up the stockings for the children to see. "Your mother never hung these up?"

"I don't think our market even sold them," remarked Tim. "Do we put things in them?"

Spectra nodded, laying the stockings on the floor. "Why, yes. Things like candy, little toys, and anything else small can fit inside these stockings. And look- I even printed your names on them!"

As the children all marveled at their stockings, Benny asked, "Do we wear them afterward? Mine is too small for my foot,"

Spectra just laughed. "Well, you're not supposed to. If you want socks, I'll buy you some,"

Later that evening, Lillian wandered into the kitchen, where Bloodgood was preparing some apple pie for the next day.

"Miss Bloodgood?" piped up Lillian, getting the woman's attention. "Are we going to church tonight?"

Bloodgood nodded, cleaning up some excess dough. "Yes, dear, and it will probably be much better than any church service you've attended,"

Lillian tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"Well," Bloodgood turned a dial on the oven. "The pastor is Serendipity Storm, an old friend of mine from my college days. She's wonderful with children, you'll love her. Now," Bloodgood scooped up some of the apple pie filling with her spoon, handing it to Lillian. "Don't tell Spectra I gave this to you," she said in a hushed tone with a wink.

Lillian wandered off, licking the filling off of the spoon, but she stopped by Bloodgood's office when she heard a peculiar noise. It was a strange sort of buzzing noise, and it was coming straight from Bloodgood's computer. When the last of the apple filling was gone, Lillian walked up to the computer and experimentally tapped a key, starting slightly when the buzzing became louder.

"Is it broken?" Lillian wondered aloud, staring at the screen.

Just then, an image of a girl appeared on the screen, and it seemed to be a photograph at first. She was small in stature, with thick black hair hiding her face, but the image soon proved to be a video, as the girl reached up and placed her hand on the screen. It looked as though she were trying to break through to the other side, and when she was unable to do this, she whispered to Lillian, "Help me. The Green Widow is here,"

There was a loud bang, and the girl whirled around suddenly. Immediately afterward, the computer sparked and the screen went black, making Lillian jump.

Lillian sat in silence for several moments, until she heard Caleb call out from the other room, "Lillian! Come get your juice!"

"Okay!" called Lillian, jumping down and hovering away. If she'd lingered a moment longer, she would have seen the computer turn back to its home screen, and she also would have seen a pop-up ad for 'Mistress Zelda's Carnival of Wonders' appear on the screen.

After dinner that evening, Spectra and Bloodgood got the kids in the car and headed off for the church.

They reached the church, and the attendance wasn't very high, just by judging the number of cars in the lot. Benny examined the church silently, surprised by how different everything looked. The only church he'd ever gone to was McAlroy's, or 'Our Lady of Mercy' as it was commonly known. This church was much bigger, and the walls were painted bright colors- it was all very shiny and new.

As the attendees were all sitting down, Bloodgood headed to the choir loft to meet with her friend, Serendipity. Serendipity, a pink sea dragon with green scales, was just preparing for her sermon as Bloodgood entered.

"Hello, dear Serene!" Bloodgood greeted happily, using her friend's nickname. "How have you been?"

Serene gripped the other's hand, shaking it as she laughed, "Oh, Nora, I love it here! The unity of monsters and myths in New Salem is truly invigorating. Of course, I miss my home by the docks, but I love this place just as much! How are you? Do you still work as a principal?"

Bloodgood nodded. "Yes, I do. As you might not know, I'm helping to reform some rogue soul children. They've been quite the handful, but they've come with me tonight,"

"Rogue souls!" Serene exclaimed, in awe. "Why, Nora! I am quite impressed. Doing the Lord's work, as usual, I see?"

"Oh, Serene, please," Bloodgood waved her off. "It's my job. Now- what have you prepared for your sermon tonight?"

Serene just wiggled her finger with a smirk. "Ah, ah. You know I hate to ruin surprises! However, I will tell you this: my sermon will consist of the confession of sins and the unveiling of secrets,"

Bloodgood raised an eyebrow. "That's a rather odd message for Christmas. Are you sure you there wasn't a mixup like last time?"

"Why would there be?" Serene smiled, scratching the scales on her neck. "Are you keeping a secret?"

"No! Well...nevermind! I'm sure it will be wonderful,"

Serene nodded approvingly. "All right, then. Now, shoo! Wait for the service down there with everyone else,"

Upon entering the chapel, Spectra and the children spotted Milo and the others, and they decided to sit together. Shaye was there, too, and she had a bag full of porcelain dolls and other toys that she would occasionally whisper to. At one point, Caleb heard Shaye whisper, "Kiki won't be satisfied, 'till everyone dies,"

At 7:00, the service officially began. A choir shuffled up to the loft, and they led the congregation in a few hymns (Benny knew just about all the songs). Once the hymns were over and done with, the choir suddenly disappeared into a door in the back. No one was up, and the pastor was nowhere to be seen. All was eerily quiet.

As the lights began to dim, and the room lit up in a violet-bluish hue, Benny looked over at Spectra.

"What's happening!?" he whispered harshly. "I ain't never been to this kinda church!"

"They're gonna do the thing," answered Emily, who was doodling in one of the hymnals. "Right, Milo?"

Milo shushed both of them. "Just wait and see! And Emily, leave that alone,"

Just then, and a low humming arose from the back of the chapel. It got progressively louder until a group of reptilian creatures came swooshing in from the chapel doors. They were all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and they wore shimmering outfits as they danced and sang in a strange language. Tim and Tom observed it all quietly, and they slowly turned to Benny to see his reaction. Benny was horrified- he had his head in his hands, and his eyes were wider than they'd ever been. He rocked back and forth slowly, muttering, "Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop..."

The dancing reptiles stopped, and they began to chant something. They whirled around and pulled a curtain away from an opening beneath the loft, and Serendipity stepped out in her shining priest clothes. They others seemed to bow to her as she walked to her podium, and she grabbed a bible from the podium.

" _Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, and hid, that shall not be known,_ " began Serendipity, reading from the text. "What this means is, 'everything hidden will one day be revealed'. Dear friends, God never reveals his plans to us directly, but did he not send Christ to save us, keeping his promise? Why lose hope? Dear friends- even when we believe all is lost, there is still more to come,"

"Is she just making this up as she goes?" whispered Spectra to Bloodgood, who simply shrugged.

"That's not uncommon for her," Bloodgood admitted.

Serene rambled on for several more minutes until she ended the message with, "You must confess,"

There was a long pause, and she bowed low and muttered something, shuffling away. The congregation seemed unsure of what to do at first until an organ rendition of 'Silent Night' began to play. This was the cue to leave.

"That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen!" remarked Caleb as they left the chapel. "I didn't now dragons could talk,"

Benny still couldn't get over the whole thing. "Who let her up there!? Does she even work here!?"

Bloodgood nodded. "Yes, she does, Benny. Serendipity has been lots of places, and she's been trained for many years. She's just...eccentric,"

That night, when everyone was back home and the kids were in bed, Spectra and Bloodgood set to work putting the presents beside the tree.

"Tell me, Bloodgood," Spectra began, pushing a box beneath a branch. "What did you find in those papers that made you change your mind about Stoker?"

Bloodgood didn't look up as she examined a present for a name tag. "Oh, just you wait, Spectra. I'd prefer to wait until everyone was present,"

It was around 10:00 PM when Spectra finally crawled into bed. As Rhuen curled up beside her, she found herself thinking about her past Christmases, years earlier, and she drifted off to sleep.

In her dreams, she was a human child once more, and she saw herself trot up to Caliphe, her mother, who played various Christmas songs on their piano. As Spectra gazed at her mother's human face, Caliphe stopped and smiled. "Why hello, my dear," she spoke softly- she was always so gentle. "Would you like to play a little?"

Spectra must have said 'yes', though she didn't hear herself say it, and her mother lifted her up on the bench beside her.

"Just put your fingers here-gently, now! There, that's the way,"

When Spectra placed her fingers on the keys and pressed down, the chords were loud and unpleasant. She hit the keys again, hoping for a better sound, but this was when her father came storming in.

"What is this noise!?" he shouted, and Caliphe quickly pushed Spectra beneath her arm protectively.

"I was just showing her how to play," Caliphe explained, her voice hushed somewhat. "William, please-"

Before her mother could diffuse the situation, Spectra absent-mindedly pressed down on a key, letting a loud C-sharp ring out.

" _HEY!_ "

Spectra jolted at the sound of her father's anger, and he pushed past her mother to get right in his daughter's face. With the whiskey on his breath and a fire in his eyes, he shouted, "If you won't do it correctly, then _DON'T DO IT AT ALL!"_

The awakening from this dream was a sweet relief, and Spectra sat up to check her body. She stared at the pale, transparent flesh of her hands (if one could even call it 'flesh'), and she got out of bed. Facing the mirror, she let down her vibrant purple hair and marveled silently at its length and weight. That human child, and later the rogue soul child, were both gone, and in their place stood a ghostly woman who, despite what various counselors and therapists had said, never forgot her death. She never could forget, it was what shaped her into the woman she was at that moment.

She glanced in the direction of the attic and said a silent prayer for the children sleeping in there, and she went back to bed.

* * *

 **OMG, I'm so sorry this is later than usual! My rehearsal schedule is getting tougher since our show is literally in less than a month, so some chapters may not arrive as quick as they should.**

 **Also...I realized a while ago that I've officially been on this site for about 2 years, now. It's weird, it doesn't feel like I signed up that long ago, but my first story was uploaded in January 2015! That may not seem like a milestone for others, but it's certainly one for me. Thank you to everyone who's still reading my stuff! You're the best!**

 **Questions, comments or theories? Let me know in a review!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Christmas Morning

The light came in through the windows around 8:30 AM that morning.

Spectra awoke in her bed with her ferret still curled beside her, and she felt a brief flash of panic when she realized that her alarm hadn't gone off. However, the events of the previous evening came flooding back, and she remembered what day it was.

"Rhuen!" she stroked the bridge of the ferret's nose. "Wake up! It's Christmas,"

She was surprised that none of the children had run in to wake her up, for she couldn't recall a Christmas from her childhood when she didn't try to wake up her mother earlier in the morning. Even when they were rogue souls, residing in the floorboards of their old house, Spectra would still remind her mother what day it was. Those were strange days, far behind her, now.

Spectra opened up the door to the attic, feeling a bit giddy when she noticed that the children were indeed asleep. She had to check Caleb's bed, though, since it was difficult to tell if he was really in bed or not. Sure enough, every child was still in bed, and she decided to wake up Caleb first.

"Caleb," Spectra shook his bony shoulder. "Do you know what day it is?"

He sat up, his dark hair a mess, and he looked into Spectra's face with those empty eye sockets of his. They'd looked so strange when she first saw him, but she'd grown used to them. "What?" asked Caleb, a little sleepy still. When Spectra just stared at him knowingly, the realization struck him. "It's Christmas!" he leaped out of bed, scuttling like a crab to the futon where Benny slept, and he jumped right on his brother's back. "Benny! Get up! It's Christmas! Come on, everyone!"

Benny awoke with a start and nearly flung Caleb across the room, which woke up the others. "Caleb, stop yelling!" Tim snapped, jumping to the floor. "We're up, we're up,"

They all headed downstairs, where Bloodgood sat on the couch with a cup of coffee clutched in her hands. When she saw them, she smiled and set the cup down on the coffee table.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" she got up, though she looked a bit unsteady on her feet. "I hope you all slept well,"

Lillian crawled under the tree almost right away, exclaiming, "Where are my presents? Ooh, I found one!" she pulled out a medium-sized box with her name on it. "Wow! This one's mine!"

Spectra had to laugh, gently prying the box from Lillian's fingers. "Not just yet, Lillian! Start with something small, like your stockings. Come see what's in your stockings, everyone!"

She and Bloodgood both cut down each stocking individually and handed them to the children. In each stocking were similar gifts: a popcorn ball, a box of assorted chocolates, and a small toy. Because no one knew what toy Benny would like, Bloodgood had gotten a small music box that played a song called, 'Think of Me' in hopes he would enjoy it.

Benny did like the music box, and he set it open on the coffee table and listened to it quietly. "Pretty," he remarked in amazement after a few seconds, closing the lid.

As Bloodgood watched the children unwrap the gifts, she felt a strange feeling well up inside her. Maybe this was what it was like to be a parent, for watching a child open a present wasn't at all exciting to her until this moment. She recalled her past Christmases with her now estranged siblings and father, and how Declan's stern facade would crumble as he watched his children open their gifts. He was always the most fun to be around on Holidays, yet Nora could never say the same for her mother, who abandoned the family when the children were teenagers. Years later, when Nora briefly dated a colleague, that Christmas became the day Declan constantly dropped hints that he wanted grandchildren. Presently, before the children had arrived downstairs, Bloodgood's phone conversation with her father soon spiraled into him saying rather snidely, "I'm still waiting on that gift of biological descendants, my dear,"

However, she couldn't reveal to him the gut feeling she'd been repressing for months; she hadn't told anyone or tried to confirm her suspicions. She did know one thing: if she waited too long, her father would have that gift by next Christmas.

"Wow!" exclaimed Lillian as she unwrapped the gift she'd been admiring earlier. "What is it?"

"They're doll clothes," Spectra explained happily. "You know, for Honey Bunny,"

Lillian pulled Honey Bunny out of her pocket excitedly, and she began to unpackage the box. She stopped when she noticed something odd. "But...there's girl clothes in here. Honey Bunny's a boy,"

"They're boy and girl clothes, Lillian. The girl clothes are part of your next gift," Spectra reached back under the tree and retrieved another gift, a smaller one this time. "Here,"

As Lillian unwrapped this gift and opened the box, she gasped in surprise. "Look, Honey Bunny!" she held up the stuffed rabbit so he could look in the box. "You have a new friend!" Sure enough, inside was a shiny and white plush rabbit, brand new with a pink bow around its neck.

"Do you like it, Lillian?" asked Spectra, pleased. "I picked her out just for you,"

"I love her!" Lillian hugged both toys lovingly, and in that moment, she seemed like she'd never hurt anyone in her life. "Her name is 'Sugar Bunny'!" As she sat both bunnies down on the box of clothes, she crawled onto Spectra's lap. "Thanks, Mama!"

It was an odd, new title, but one Spectra wore proudly, now. As she hugged Lillian back, she realized this was a feeling she could get used to.

There was one last present left, and it was for Tom. Tim tried to help him rip the paper off, but Tom simply waved him off with an annoyed grunt. When the paper was discarded, Tom looked quizzically at the gift: it was a set of markers, colored pencils, and regular pencils- all with special grippers to aid handwriting abilities.

"I got it because you've been writing so much in that journal lately," Bloodgood explained, a little nervous. Since she couldn't see his facial expression, it was difficult to figure out what he was thinking. "I hope you like it,"

Tom stared at the package for a few more seconds, and he slowly unwrapped it. He picked up his journal and flipped to an empty page, choosing a red marker and beginning to write something.

Just as Bloodgood was about to get up and head to the kitchen, she stopped when Tom held up the page with writing on it.

In handwriting that was far better than his usual writing, Tom had written, " _Thank you, Miss Bloodgood. I like them a lot,"_

Bloodgood gave him a smile. "You're very welcome, dear," she tried to hug him, but he didn't want a hug and pulled away politely.

The children left the wrapping paper on the floor (no one felt like cleaning it up) as Bloodgood began to make breakfast for them. Spectra thought about telling Caleb that his new action figures didn't belong on the table right next to his waffles, but she decided not to. She also held her tongue when the wood shavings from Tim's new carving knife were nearly touching his food, and she wondered to herself, _What's happened to me?_

After breakfast, it was time to get ready for Christmas at Milo's. Lillian had disappeared somewhere, and Spectra was currently trying to locate her.

"Lillian?" Spectra wandered around the attic, a bit concerned. "Lillian, do you want me to brush your hair?"

"I'm right here, Mama," a voice behind her said. Spectra turned around, and she gasped.

"Oh, Lillian!"

Lillian had retrieved the yellow dress from the closet, and she'd finally taken off those pajamas. She stood there, in the yellow dress, with her hair draped over her shoulders. Though her arms were bruised and slightly swollen in places from her death years earlier, she'd never looked so beautiful.

"Lillian," Spectra knelt down, close to tears. "Lillian, you look so pretty!"

Lillian smiled sweetly, as little girls should. "Thanks, Mama,"

There was a pause, and Spectra pulled out her phone. "There's something you need to see," she opened up a photo from her gallery, and she showed it to Lillian. "Do you know who this is?"

It was a black and white photo of a little girl, with her hair curled in ringlets and ribbons. She wore a smart little dress with black shoes, and she had a sad, faraway look in her eyes.

When Lillian didn't know, Spectra whispered, "That's me, Lillian," she wrapped her arms around the girl, and she repeated, "That's me,"

Just as everyone was about to head out, Bloodgood made sure to grab the letter she was planning to show to Stoker.

She was going to need it.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

Pity Party

The sun shone in the sky as Bloodgood's car pulled into Milo's driveway, and it seemed like it was going to be a perfect Christmas.

Upon entering and greeting everybody, Bloodgood noticed that some company was missing. "Why, Milo, where are Duncan and Stoker?"

"Oh, Duncan's visiting his parents and picking up his cousin, but he'll be back before we eat," explained Milo, pushing a pan in the oven. "Lord Stoker also seems to be running late, but I'm sure he'll be here as well,"

Bloodgood simply nodded, but she cursed inwardly. She hoped that Stoker would arrive soon- she wanted him to hear what that letter had to say.

While helping the children with their coats, Spectra noticed Emily lingering by the doorway. "Merry Christmas, Emily," Spectra smiled up at her. "How are you?"

"Good," Emily answered, though she sounded a bit distant. Kayako noticed the girl from a few feet away, and she shuffled towards her.

"Emily," Kaya prodded the girl gently. "Toshio still upstairs, so tell kids about your present,"

Emily perked up a bit at this, and she walked briskly towards the guests. "Hey, you guys! Wanna come see what I got for Christmas?"

The Weaver children weren't terribly fond of Emily (other than Benny, who seemed to fancy her), but they were interested. "What did you get?" inquired Tim curiously.

Emily simply beckoned them. "Come see!"

Toshio and Emily shared a bedroom, so Toshio was sitting on the edge of the top bunk watching TV when the guests entered. Emily took a look at what Toshio was watching, and she raised an eyebrow. "What are you watching?"

"I don't know," admitted Toshio, sounding confused. "It's called, 'The Kranks' or something. I don't like it,"

Emily frowned a bit. "Well, turn it off! We have to show our friends our present,"

Toshio gasped in excitement, and he leaped from the top bunk with Mar clutched beneath his arm. "Plug it in, plug it in!"

As Emily pulled out a strange box from under the TV and began to fiddle with various wires, Caleb scuttled over to look over her shoulder. "What is it?" he asked. "Can I see?"

Emily pushed him away lightly, standing up. "Don't touch it! You might break it,"

The item was a small, radio-like structure with a microphone hooked up to it and a slot for loading in CDs. As Toshio produced two CDs from a case, Emily finally turned the others and exclaimed, "It's a karaoke machine!"

"'Karaoke'?" repeated Benny, confused. "It's a foreign language, ain't it?"

"I don't think so," answered Emily, taking the CDs from Toshio. "See, these CDs have music with no words, but you can sing along. They put words on the screen so you know what to say," When the others seemed to understand, Emily held up both CDs. "One has music with English words, but the other is Japanese. We'll put in the English one,"

Toshio seemed disappointed, but he loaded the CD anyway. As he scrolled through each song choice, he tilted his head slightly. "I can't decide. Which one, Emily?"

Emily rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. We haven't listened to all of them. Just hit 'shuffle', I think that plays a random one,"

"Um, Emily," it was Tim, and he was checking the back of the CD case. "We don't know any of these songs,"

"That's okay," Emily assured rather arrogantly. "I 'm gonna show you how it's done!"

The music started; it was loud and happy-sounding, but with a sad tint to it. Emily gasped when she heard it, and she leaped up and grabbed the microphone. "This one's my favorite!"

The lyrics appeared on screen, and Emily began singing along:

" _Did my invitations disappear?_

 _Why'd I put my heart on every cursive letter?_

 _Tell me why the hell no one is here_

 _Tell me what to do to make it all feel better_

 _Maybe it's a cruel joke on me_

 _Whatever, whatever_

 _Just means there's way more cake for me_

 _Forever, forever,_ "

The others listened to her quietly- she was good, a little screechy, but good. She was also slightly out of sync with the backing vocals, but she definitely knew what she was doing.

" _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _Cry if I want to_

 _I'll cry until the candles burn down this place_

 _I'll cry until my pity party's in flames_

 _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _Cry if I want to_

 _I'll cry until the candles burn down this place_

 _I'll cry until my pity party's in flames,_ "

As Emily danced around and performed shamelessly in front of everyone, Tom suddenly began to furiously write something in his journal. Tim noticed this, and he tried to look over Tom's shoulder. "What is it?" Tim whispered, but Tom pulled away with a growl. "Oh...sorry,"

" _Maybe if I knew all of them well_

 _I wouldn't have been trapped inside this hell that holds me_

 _Maybe if I casted out a spell_

 _Or told them decorations were in pastel ribbons_

 _Maybe it's a cruel joke on me_

 _Whatever, whatever_

 _Just means there's way more cake for me_

 _Forever, forever._

 _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _Cry if I want to_

 _I'll cry until the candles burn down this place_

 _I'll cry until my pity party's in flames_

 _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _Cry if I want to_

 _I'll cry until the candles burn down this place_

 _I'll cry until my pity party's in flames_

 _I'm laughing, I'm crying_

 _It feels like I'm dying_

 _I'm laughing, I'm crying_

 _It feels like I'm dying_

 _I'm laughing, I'm crying_

 _It feels like I'm dying_

 _I'm dying, I'm dying_

 _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to,"_

The music paused suddenly, and Emily let out a long, Earth-shattering scream. Everybody in the room jumped and looked at her in alarm, but she only flashed a malicious grin in their directions before whipping around and continuing her song.

" _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _Cry if I want to_

 _I'll cry until the candles burn down this place_

 _I'll cry until my pity party's in flames_

 _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _Cry if I want to_

 _I'll cry until the candles burn down this place_

 _I'll cry until my pity party's in flames_

 _It's my party, it's—it's my party_

 _It's my party, it's—it's my party_

 _It's my party and I'll cry if I want to_

 _Cry if I want to!_ "

The music stopped, and Emily turned back to her friends, grinning her toothy grin. "Well?"

Everyone else was silent- they'd never heard music quite like that before. After a moment, Lillian clapped her hands. "I liked it!" she chirped. "What other songs are on there?"

Toshio picked up the CD case, looking it over. "Well...Oh, my mom likes this one," he scrolled through the songs on the screen until he came across one titled, 'Nobody's Perfect'. "What do you think, E-"

Before he could finish, Emily snatched the remote from him in a rage. "No!" she yelled. "You know I don't like that one! Don't ever play it!"

When she stormed over to the bottom bunk and flopped down, Toshio took this to mean he could play his music. As he switched the CDs and persuaded Lillian to sing a song called 'Doki Doki Morning' with him, Benny wandered over to Emily and sat on the bed with her.

"Hey, uh," he looked away shyly. "I...I liked your song,"

Emily lifted her face from the pillow to look at him. "Really?"

He smiled at her. "Yeah...I-I don't like much new music, but I liked that song,"

Emily grinned at him, not maliciously, but appreciatively.

Down in the kitchen, Bloodgood and Spectra were chatting with Milo and Kaya when something crossed Spectra's mind.

"Milo," Spectra began, getting the mantis's attention. "I heard what happened with Kayako and Toshio, I think lots of monsters have, but what about Emily?"

There was a pause, and Milo let out a sigh. "Well...what happened to her is rather recent, so I can't give too many details. But, I will tell you this: in life, she suffered from bi-polar disorder, anxiety, and depression. Her parents were rather incompetent people, and they didn't know how to deal with her, so they locked her in a basement,"

"Really?" Bloodgood gasped, saddened. "Oh, my! Were they caught?"

"No, they did not," Milo explained with a sigh. "Unfortunately, the authorities were too late: the SCP found a tape recording by Emily's mother, where she claimed to not know how her daughter died- she just found her dead one day with no explanation. However, we found a computer file on a laptop belonging to Emily's father, where he confessed to poisoning her. You see, her father felt that a life in Heaven with no disabilities was better for her than the life she had. Yet...she never made it to Heaven. When Emily's parents tried to escape so they wouldn't have to deal with the police, Emily returned and murdered them before they could leave. After that, she took up residence in the house,"

Spectra was in awe. "Wow...poor girl. How did you ever convince her to live with you and Duncan?"

Milo simply chuckled. "Well, funny you should ask! Duncan's cousin Mark, who you will be meeting later, found Emily after she managed to- believe it or not- order pizza! Can you believe it!? She somehow managed to reboot her father's old laptop and order a pizza! I was blown away when I heard that. Nevertheless, the employee delivering the pizza was Mark, and Emily shut him in the house with her and harassed him for about five hours. He managed to escape, and he told Duncan the next day, and that was right around the time the SCP was making arrangements to have Kaya and Toshio stay with us. I got the SCP's help, and it all worked out perfectly! Emil still has bouts of bipolar disorder from time to time, but she's made so much progress already,"

"You and Duncan are remarkable," Bloodgood smiled. "The two of you have more kindness in your fingers than most have in their whole bodies. I'm so glad the SCP has you to reform these souls,"

Milo exchanged a glance with Kayako, who grinned at him. He smiled back at her, and he turned back to Bloodgood. "Same to you, Nora. Same to you,"

Just then, the door opened, and Milo perked up. "Oh? It's Duncan and Mark!"

Sure enough, Duncan came through the door with a dark-haired, younger looking man behind him. Yet, something was off, and Duncan was behaving strangely: he looked rather sullen and tired, and he seemed to be annoyed with Mark for some unknown reason. Spectra could only assume this was because of a long drive or a stressful day.

Mark was very friendly and talkative until Emily came down the stairs. When he saw her, he quickly ducked behind Milo.

"No, no!" Mark cowered, trying not to make eye contact with Emily. "You-you keep her away from me!"

Milo could only laugh. "Mark, she's been reformed. Well...mostly,"

"I-I'm sure she's all good and whatever, but-" he cringed a little as Emily came close. "You try being trapped in an abandoned house with her for five hours!"

Emily didn't seem interested in Mark, and she headed for Duncan instead. "Duncan, we're having green bean casserole, your favorite!" when he only looked at her sadly, her smile faded. "Duncan?"

Spectra watched distantly as Duncan suddenly hugged Emily close, all while his face crumbled like he was going to cry. When Emily pushed away from him in a concerned manner, he headed towards the kitchen with a heavy sigh. Kayako saw him, and she trailed after him.

Just then, Bloodgood saw a car pull up the driveway. She parted the window blinds, gasping a bit when she saw Stoker within the car. She made sure she had the letter, and she prepared to meet him.

* * *

 **I just thought I'd get this finished tonight before bed. A cramp is developing in my hand...**

 **The song Emily sings, if you don't know, it called, "Pity Party" by the always-wonderful Melanie Martinez! The other songs mentioned are 'Nobody's Perfect' by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus (whatever she's called these days), and 'Doki Doki Morning' by the Japanese band BabyMetal.**

 **Questions, comments or theories? Let me know in your review! I hope you enjoyed!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

Unfold Me

 **Warning: there is content in this chapter that may upset some readers. Be aware of this.**

It was after Stoker had entered the house and greeted everyone that Bloodgood cornered him in the lounge.

"I have something for you," Nora began, her voice a mixture of bitterness, fear, and excitement. Getting this close was uncomfortable but necessary as she pulled out the wrinkled letter. "The SCP gave it to me,"

Stoker raised a brow. "Oh? What is it?" he reached for it. "Show me,"

Nora handed it over, swallowing. "Here," as he unfolded it, she spoke up again. "It's from Eliza Thatcher to you. It was never mailed,"

He halted when he heard Eliza's name. "Is this a trick?" he asked after a moment, glaring at her with those red eyes. When she didn't respond, he went back to the letter.

For five minutes, Bloodgood stood there as Stoker quietly looked over the letter. When he got to the bottom of the page, he shoved the paper back into Bloodgood's hand with a terrible rage.

"You're playing a trick on me," Stoker's voice shook, and his leg brace rattled as he did so. "I know it! It cannot be true!"

"It is," Nora said in a simple quiet tone. She paused, and delivered what she believed to be the final blow: "The SCP has asked me to tell you that you must go down for a DNA test,"

"Why is that?"

A victorious smile played upon Nora's lips. "Because of the evidence portrayed in this letter, the SCP wants to see if you're really the biological father of Mary Weaver,"

There was a long pause, and Stoker's mouth hung open like he wanted to say something. However, he was silent, and he stormed out of the lounge. Bloodgood followed- she was going to torture him all night with this revelation.

In the kitchen, Milo was busy preparing a pan of beef wellington that he'd just pulled out of the oven. "It's almost ready," he was telling Kayako, who was helping him. "Round up the children, will you?"

As Kayako headed upstairs, Duncan wandered somberly into the kitchen and got some beer from the fridge, catching Milo's attention.

"Duncan," Milo spoke up, stopping the young man in his tracks. "How was breakfast with your parents?"

Duncan sighed, not looking up as he pried off the bottle cap. "Good, I guess. I'm not hungry- I won't be eating with you,"

Milo's smile faded, and his brows (though they weren't really brows at all- Milo was hairless) knitted together. "Duncan? Is everything all right? You're not normally like this,"

"I'm fine," Duncan snapped sharply, taking a swig of the beer. "I'm just...I'm just tired,"

As the boy walked off, Milo watched him go. Something was definitely not right.

The children were seated at a small 'kid table' in the living room, and Kayako switched on the television for them. A movie titled 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' started playing, and the children watched in strange fascination.

"They're like..." Lillian tried to piece together was she was seeing. "They're like...dolls, but they're...moving," after a few seconds, she decided, "I like it,"

Caleb seemed rather disgusted by what was on the television, and he started to fish for the remote. "Where's the remote? I don't like this,"

"Caleb, no!" Tim stopped him, irritated. "Let's just keep watching,"

After a few more minutes of the movie, Caleb proclaimed glumly, "I want to watch X-men,"

"No, you don't," Tim said in a hushed tone, putting his hand over Caleb's mouth. "Be quiet, I'm trying to watch this,"

Just then, Duncan's footsteps went trudging up the stairs nearby, and it caught Toshio's attention. Toshio became incredibly anxious, and he tapped Lillian's shoulder.

"Lillian," he whispered nervously. "Something's wrong with Duncan,"

Lillian looked up, confused. "What? What are you saying?"

"He's all weird today," explained Toshio. "I'm worried. Let's go talk to him,"

Lillian glanced back at the others, who were busy with the movie, and she slipped out of her chair with Honey Bunny and Sugar Bunny at her side.

At the dining room table, the adults were busy talking, though Stoker was trying to avoid eye contact with Bloodgood. Shaye had arrived at the table, and she was very talkative as usual, though most of what she said was nonsense.

"Ronald Reagan was Satan incarnate," she said at one point.

Mark, who had been telling a story about his cats that had been interrupted, stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"It's the truth!" Shaye declared, waving her plastic arms. "And JFK was my ex-husband! It's true- ask Aunt Jemima,"

At this point, Milo entered with the beef wellington and began to slice it up. "My family thinks it's strange that I don't serve turkey or chicken of any traditional Christmas foods," he laughed a bit, putting a slice on a plate. "I just find beef wellington to be more appealing myself,"

"How come your family's not visiting, Milo?" inquired Mark as Milo handed him a plate.

Milo cleared his throat looking away. "Well...it's a bit hard to talk about, but..." he grimaced at the memory. "Let's just say that since I saw my mother bite my stepfather's head off, things have never been quite the same,"

"Milo," Bloodgood spoke up suddenly, standing up with the letter clutched in her hand. "The SCP gave me something," she could feel Stoker glaring daggers at her from across the table, but she did not back down. "This letter says that-"

Before she could continue, Lillian came rushing in with a worried expression. "Something happened to Duncan!"

Mark looked up, concerned. "What? What happened?"

"I don't know," Lillian admitted. "Toshio and I went into his room, and he was drinking from a funny looking bottle and looking at pictures on the computer,"

Milo stood up suddenly, filled with worry. "What happened then!?"

Lillian rocked back and forth slowly. "He...he ate a bunch of white things out of a bottle and fell asleep. Now, he won't wake up,"

There was a long pause, and Kayako, Milo, and Mark all sprang up from the table and ran upstairs in a panic. Spectra grabbed Lillian and held her close, shuffling off to the living room to keep the kids calm. Bloodgood and Stoker were left all alone in the dining room.

"Duncan!" Milo rushed into his companion's room, where he saw something he never wanted to see again: Duncan was lying on the floor having a seizure of some sort, while his saliva foamed from his mouth. Toshio stood over him, shaking him and begging him to wake up, but Duncan did not respond in any way.

When Kayako saw this, she let out a horrified cry. " _DUNCAN!_ " she grabbed her son and nearly threw him on the bed, and she knelt down to tend to Duncan. "Duncan, wake up! Duncan, please!"

" _MOVE!"_ it was Mark, and he grabbed Duncan and dragged him to the bathroom. "Duncan, don't you die on me! C'mon, man!" Mark was sobbing as he threw his cousin in the bathtub, and he turned the cold water on.

Milo rushed in just as he was doing this. "What are you doing!? You'll drown him!"

Mark didn't listen, and he pelted the unconscious boy with the cold water. "Come on, come on! Wake up!" when this didn't work, Milo stepped in.

"I'm the doctor, here!" Milo snarled bitterly, lifting his friend out of the tub. "Let me handle this!"

The other children, despite Spectra's commands, had wandered upstairs, and they all watched from the bathroom doorway as Milo tried to revive Duncan. Finally, Milo just held Duncan's head over the toilet and stuck his fingers in his mouth, trying desperately to activate the gag reflex.

After three painful moments, Duncan's body finally lurched, and he began retching into the toilet. As Milo held the boy's hair back, he tried to talk to him.

"Duncan, how many pills did you take!?" when Duncan didn't answer, Milo shook him. "How many!?"

Duncan lifted his head up after a moment, pale and shaky. "I don't..." he slurred, his body swaying ever so slightly. "I don't know...it was the whole thing, I t-think," he suddenly burst into tears. "Milo!" he sobbed, covering his face. "I killed him, Milo! I...I need to confess! Oh, God, it was me!"

"Who?" Milo tilted his head to look at him. "What are you talking about?"

In the bedroom, Spectra took notice of the pictures of Duncan's computer. Upon investigation, she discovered that they were pictures of Duncan with the boy who'd the Weavers had supposedly killed: Travis Burton. Judging by the pictures, Travis and Duncan appeared to have once been friends.

In the midst of all this confusion, a loud yell was heard from downstairs. Milo heard it, and he groaned. "What now!? Can someone go see what that was!?"

Spectra nearly flew downstairs, and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was going on.

Stoker was collapsed on the floor, clutching his side and backing away fearfully from Bloodgood, who was holding a carving knife. There were drops of dark vampire blood scattered on the wood floor.

"Bloodgood, what the hell!?" Spectra dropped down beside Stoker, examining him. The stab wound had just nearly missed his heart.

Nora stood there, almost in disbelief at what she'd just done. Her mouth hung open, and her muscles relaxed suddenly as the bloodied knife clattered to the floor.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

Bittersweet Tragedy

 **Warning: sad chapter is sad.**

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

The annoyance and pain bubbled in Nora Bloodgood's body as she refused to make eye contact with the man standing above her. "Evan, please. Don't do this,"

Evan Bloodgood, Nora's estranged younger brother who was now a police officer, simply smirked down at his older sister as she sat handcuffed in a solitary confinement room. "I just find it really funny: you used to boss me around all the time, you told me what to do, and you were always concerned that I would end up in prison. Now, look!" he gave a triumphant laugh. "I guess _I_ wasn't the problem, was I?

"Evan, I'm sorry," Nora's voice was thick with anger. "Please don't be childish. Let's just get this over with,"

Evan simply snorted. "I wouldn't be telling someone to not act 'childish' after I stabbed a guy. You're a pretentious cunt, you know that?"

Just then, the door opened, and Declan came rushing in. "Nora!" a worried expression on his face, he dropped down to look his daughter in the eyes. "I came as soon as I heard! Oh, Nora, what happened!?"

"Hey, Dad!" Evan snarled, crossing his arms. "What am I- chopped liver!? I always knew she was the favorite,"

A young man who had entered with Declan suddenly turned and got right in Evan's face. "Get out of here, Evan. Declan told me about you,"

Evan reached for his taser, saying, "I'd back off if I were you, faggot,"

Before things could get tenser, the door opened once again. "You're dismissed, Officer Bloodgood," a stern voice said.

There was a pause, and Evan muttered a curse beneath his breath and stormed out. Once he was gone, the other officer, a chupacabra, walked in.

"Sorry about that," the chupacabra apologized, pulling up a chair. "I didn't realize he was your relative,"

Declan simply nodded. "We have a troubled past with him. Now, what happened, exactly?"

"I stabbed a vampire," murmured Bloodgood, looking away. "It was Lord Stoker, though he's no longer in a position of power in Transylvania. We got into an argument, and he acted like he was going to bite me, so...I grabbed the carving knife off the table and stabbed him. I don't know what came over me, I-I couldn't stop myself,"

The officer took this in quietly. "Okay, I see. And what was the argument about?"

Bloodgood went silent; she felt like she couldn't tell the truth about the argument. What had really happened was this: when everyone else rushed away to tend to Duncan, Stoker began to verbally attack Bloodgood for bringing up the letter. It was then that she brought up what had happened between them, and how mentally stimulating her arousal levels could constitute as rape. When she threatened to get a restraining order, he suddenly grabbed her by the collar and bared his teeth in her face. Acting on impulse, Bloodgood snatched up the carving knife and took a stab at his heart.

However, she couldn't bring herself to say this. They would know: they would know that she was mentally controlled and taken advantage by a _man._ This was something she swore she would never let happen to herself, and now it had. After the brief fling, Nora had taken a long shower as everything hit her like a ton of bricks, and she'd wept bitterly with shame. She'd looked down at her body, and she didn't want it- she wanted to unzip it like a coat and throw it away.

Nora looked up into her father's clear blue eyes, and she broke down, humiliated. "Oh, Father! Father, he got me pregnant!"

Declan gasped, and he and his partner exchanged a shocked glance. "Nora, darling!" Declan embraced his daughter as if she were a little girl again, and he stroked her hair. "What did he do to you!? My dear! You had every right to..." he trailed off, and he pulled away to look at her. "I promise, I will _always_ care for you,"

Nora sniffed, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Father,"

Morning came.

Spectra took the kids with her to the hospital to visit Duncan, and to offer support and comfort. In the waiting room, as the children watched TV and played with little toys, Spectra caught sight of Nelly, Stoker's aide, sitting nearby solemnly. After making sure the kids were occupied, Spectra arose and went to talk to Nelly.

"Hey," Spectra said softly, taking a seat beside the woman. "How is everything?"

Nelly just sighed, shoving her hands in her coat pockets. "All right, I guess. Stoker is fine, but..." she looked away for a moment. "I'm concerned about his mental state,"

Spectra raised an eyebrow. "Why? Does he have any mental issues?"

"Well, yes," Nelly straightened up slightly. "You know how his legs are broken- well, _were_ broken?"

"Yeah, you said that was a car accident,"

Nelly took a deep breath. "See...it wasn't an accident. It was a suicide attempt," when Spectra looked shocked, Nelly went on. "First, he tried to crash his car into a pole. When he survived that, he walked directly into traffic so he would get hit. That's how his legs got injured,"

Spectra went silent, and her brow furrowed over this revelation. "But...why would he do that?"

"His money ran out," Nelly explained quietly. "His one friend, his servant, got married and moved away. Stoker was also banned from ever going back to his home country, and his niece was refusing to talk to him, and she's his only family. I guess he figured he was...done,"

"What happened then?"

"He was put in the hospital, and they called me to help him. I got a hold of his niece, and she felt bad for giving him the cold shoulder and gave him a loan of two million dollars. She's royalty, you see?"

Spectra simply nodded. "I was aware of Elissabat. I...I hope he's all right. I'm sorry for what Bloodgood did,"

Nelly suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled letter, handing it to Spectra. "Stoker gave me this on the way in here, and he was crying. I read through it, and...I can see why he's angry. Have you read it?"

"I haven't," Spectra answered, taking the letter. With a deep breath, she began to silently read:

" _Stoker,_

 _It's been nearly two years since I've last seen you. I haven't forgotten about you, but you seem to have forgotten me. It's not surprising, as you have an extraordinarily long lifespan and possible you'd forget an acquaintance or two, but you said I was different. You said you loved me._

 _I'll admit- I was apprehensive when my father said that our next mission trip was to be Transylvania, but I agreed. They told us that vampires were devils and that they would kill us on sight. But, you did not, and neither did the others. You were sweet, so sweet the sunlight could melt you, like vanilla cream. I loved you, I honestly did, and I thought you loved me back._

 _However, when my father discovered our affair and cut the trip short, you promised you would always love me, despite the distance and my humanity. I asked you to bite me, and you declined._

 _You never wrote me a single letter. Instead, I had to read in a newsletter about the affair with you and a mouse-folk woman, and I was devastated. I was hoping that my pregnancy you gave to me would be a pleasant surprise and that I could come live with you, but after your affair, I realized that you did not love me._

 _The reason I am writing you is because I am dying. I have tuberculosis, and I know that I am going to die very soon. We have a young daughter named Mary, and she doesn't belong in this human society. She needs to be with you, Stoker, so she can live among her kind and never have to worry about being hurt by anyone. I do not wish for her uncle to raise her because he is a drunk and I know that he will mistreat her._

 _Please do not ignore this letter._

 _Yours,_

 _Eliza Thatcher."_

Spectra folded the letter up slowly, thinking hard over what she had just read. She looked at the children, and she wondered how different things would have turned out if Mary had gone with Stoker instead of her alcoholic uncle.

"Miss Vondergeist?" It was a nurse.

Spectra stood up, beckoning the children. "Right here. Come on, kids,"

Duncan was stretched out on a hospital bed in a paper shirt, while Kayako reclined on his chest, gripping his left hand protectively. Milo stood nearby, and Emily and Toshio were nowhere to be seen.

"Hello, everyone," Spectra tried to smile as they walked in, but it was difficult given the circumstances. "Duncan, how are you?"

He looked up at her, and he rubbed his eye. "I feel like shit,"

"Language," Milo reminded him gently. "There are children here, Duncan,"

As the children stood around a bit awkwardly, Spectra pulled up a chair to Duncan's bedside. "Can you tell me about what happened, Duncan?"

Duncan lifted his head, stroking Kayako's coal-black hair. "I killed him," he confessed, his voice heavy with remorse. "Travis- my best friend. We got into a fight, and it was a bad one. We were working together to...to find _them_ ," he gestured to the Weaver kids. "But Travis took all the credit for my discoveries. I just...I just got so angry, and even though he wanted to meet me in the woods to apologize, I couldn't forgive him. When he was walking around in the woods, I followed him around without him knowing. I saw the Weavers chase him around and try to scare him, but when they didn't attack him, I got really frustrated. I grabbed a shovel I found and cornered him, and I hit him on the head. His forehead split open like a watermelon, and when I realized what I'd done, and I panicked and ran," his voice trembled, and he covered his face. "It all hit me during that church service when the pastor kept talking about confession and all that. I couldn't handle it, and it hurt even more when my mom showed me a picture she had from when Travis and I were little kids. We...we were friends, even in kindergarten, you understand? And I...I killed him. Over something so _stupid!_ "

"Duncan?" it was Caleb, and he sounded rather confused. "How do you know he's dead?"

"How could he have survived?" Duncan sighed, tears running down his cheeks. "I saw him collapse after I hit him, and I saw the look in his eyes when he realized it had been me. He's dead, I'm sure of it,"

Milo spoke up suddenly. "Caleb has a good point, Duncan. I don't think I told you, but when the SCP rounded up all the rogue souls in Mount Todd, Travis Burton wasn't among them,"

Duncan looked up, surprised. "Really!?"

Spectra considered this, and she thought of two possible theories. "He's either alive and out there somewhere, or he went on to the afterlife. If he's alive, we can try to look for him,"

"Whatever happened," Duncan's voice shook. "I hope he can forgive me,"

The door to the room slammed shut suddenly, and Spectra turned to look. It was Tom, and he walked off into the hallway with his writing pad.

"Excuse me for a second," Spectra murmured, walking away and opening the door.

Tom sat alone on a bench in the hallway, staring down at an open page in his book. All he'd written there was, " _Why on Christmas?_ "

Spectra took a seat beside him, and she sighed when she read what he'd written. "I'm sorry, Tom," she said softly, touching his scarred shoulder. "This was supposed to be your first, real Christmas, and it turned into a day from Hell. I'm so sorry,"

"N-no," a broken, raspy voice said, and Spectra jumped in surprise. "N...not your fault. Bad luck, God hates us,"

It took a moment for Spectra to realize where the voice was coming from, and she gasped in shock. "Tom! You can talk!"

He closed his sketchbook slowly, and he turned to look at Spectra with that one brown eye that was always filled with pain. "T-thank you for trying," he went on, his voice strange and ragged from never being used. "Th...thanks for everything. We're all so grateful,"

Spectra's eyes filled wth tears, and she wiped her eyes. "You're very welcome, Tom,"

"I see why Lillian calls you 'Mama'," Tom continued, his voice slowly getting stronger. "You're better than Mary ever was. Mary never loved us, and neither did John. Mary never talked to me, and John beat me and called me 'cripple'. I didn't ask for polio, but I got it anyway, and John hated me for it. I forgive John, but only because he wasn't well in his head. I hoped that the sane part of him did love me, and I always prayed that he would get better so he could be that dad I always wanted. It never happened, and I knew it never would when they watched me get dragged off by those men. That was only time I _hated_ my parents, and I screamed that I would never forgive them as those men beat me. I don't even remember most of what the men did, but I was in pain. My last moment alive was with Tim and I held his hand as he died. He's my best friend, and I don't know what I'd do without him,"

Overwhelmed by his now broken silence and words, Spectra embraced him as gently as she could (she didn't want to hurt him) and cried into his messy hair, and he stayed perfectly still. After a few seconds, she pulled away and said, "My real name isn't Spectra,"

Tom looked up at her, and it was his turn to be surprised. "What?"

Spectra dabbed at her eyes again. "My real name is- well, _was,_ Sarah Thorn. I was only five and a half when I died on September 23rd, 1841," she looked at the boy before her, and she shared her story: "My father was a drunk, and he was an aggressive man as well. My mother still loved him, despite the fact that he was no longer the man she married. Things went downhill when my mother said she could smell other women on him, and he became incredibly defensive and punched her in the mouth. We soon discovered there was indeed another woman, though we didn't know her name. My mother began making plans to leave, but on the night she planned to buy a train ticket, my father attacked her. He killed her- he snapped her neck, and I was next. He ran into my room, and he..." she trailed off, and she covered her mouth so she would not sob. Tom pushed himself up and tried to hug her the best he could, though it was difficult. Spectra hugged him back, and they stayed that way for several moments.

"We will get through this," Tom told her after a few seconds.

Spectra sniffed. "I hope so, Tom. I hope so,"


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25:

The Test

Strangely enough, Stoker had decided not to press charges.

It seemed he wanted to forget about the incident, though Bloodgood could not just 'move on'. However, she had plans to press rape charges, though Nelly had contacted her and begged her not to do so. Stoker was still next door, but he rarely left the house.

As Bloodgood dealt with legal matters and argued with her father about pursuing an abortion, she received a letter from the SCP, inquiring if she had plans to send the children to school.

Because of all the stress, Nora sent Spectra to take the kids to the SCP Education Center. Spectra was glad to do it, but during the car ride, she wondered: how were they going to fit in a modern school system? Benny hadn't received any education beyond 4th grade despite the fact that he was a preteen, while it seemed that Lillian had never even attended a school. The only ones who had gotten a correct education were Tim, Tom, and Caleb, and what they'd learned during that time was probably outdated by today's standards for learning.

Upon entering the center, they were greeted right away by Dr. Calvin. "Hello again, children! I heard that you've been doing well, so I've decided to have you sent to school. What do you think of that?"

"Do we really _need_ to go to school?" Tim asked. "I mean, won't everyone be scared of us?"

"Oh, nonsense!" Calvin waved him off. "We're sending you to Monster Junior High, which as you may not know, has recently been merged with the Skelementary School. So, grades first through eight are all in the same building. We've arranged for you kids to all eat lunch together, and because of your backgrounds, you are all being granted special protections as well," he smiled, and he beckoned them. "Come, your aide is waiting,"

Spectra tagged along as Dr. Calvin led the children to a small office, where a middle-aged woman sat at a delightfully decorated desk. The woman stood up as the visitors entered, and she smiled at them.

"Hello, there! You must be the Weavers," she shook hands with each of them before introducing herself. "My name is Ms. White, but you can call me Carrie. I serve as an aide for children such as yourselves, and I'll be proctoring your test this afternoon,"

Benny looked nervous. "We don't...we don't gotta write stuff, do we?"

Carrie shook her head. "No, the test is verbal, not written. I'm going to ask you basic questions that most children in your age range can answer, and you just answer them based on what you understand. Is that clear?" When all the children just seemed to shrug, Carrie smiled. "All right. Who should go first?"

There was a silence, and Dr. Calvin suggested, "Let's go from youngest to oldest. If we do that, then Lillian is first,"

When Lillian looked unsure, Spectra urged her on. "It'll be okay, I promise," Spectra assured gently, and Lillian gave a nod.

Everyone else except Carrie, Calvin, and Lillian left the room, and the three were left alone. "Okay, Lillian," Dr. Calvin rooted around for some papers and adjusted his glasses. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," came the child's voice.

Dr. Calvin handed Carrie the paper, saying, "You ask the questions, I'll take notes,"

Carrie began with the first question: "How many sides does a rectangle have?"

"Four,"

"What's three plus three?"

"Nine- no! Six!"

"Very good. Can you spell 'mouse'?

"Um...M...O...W...no, no! M, O, U...S...E!"

Dr. Calvin took a few notes and smiled- Lillian was more intelligent than she was given credit for.

Five minutes later, as the others watched TV in the waiting room, the door opened. "She did very well!" Carrie announced happily as Lillian graced the scene. "Caleb, you're next!"

Once inside, Caleb preferred to sit on the floor rather than the chair, and he absent-mindedly picked at the carpet as Carrie began the questions.

"Okay, Caleb, here's your first question: how much are ten pennies worth?"

"Uh...t-ten..."

"Ten, what?"

Caleb looked towards the window as if it somehow had the answer. "Ten...dollars?"

"Nope, try again,"

"Ten...cents!"

Carrie nodded. "Yes, there we go! Next question: can you multiply two and thirty?"

"It makes...230?"

"No, Caleb. Did you ever learn multiplication?"

Dr. Calvin got Carrie's attention. "Ms. White, they may not have taught him this during his time. Can we move on to something else?"

A bit embarrassed, Carrie went on to another question. "Of course, of course. Let's move on,"

It was around noon when Caleb finished, and the twins were next. Tim's examination didn't take very long, as he was quite intelligent, but Tom was a different story.

"How many sides does a pentagon have?" Carrie asked. There was a long pause, and she looked up. "Tom? I know you can speak, Spectra said you could,"

Tom just seemed to shrink into himself, and he muttered something out. When asked to repeat himself, he held up a mangled hand. "F-five," he answered, a little louder.

Dr. Calvin prodded Carrie's shoulder, murmuring, "He just held up four fingers,"

Tom heard this, and he rose up suddenly from his chair in a rage. Spectra (who had come in to ensure that there wasn't an incident) quickly diffused the situation by grabbing the boy by the shoulders and setting him back down. "Tom! Tom, it's all right," Spectra looked up at Dr. Calvin, asking, "Can he write down his answers? He's more comfortable with writing,"

"Yes, he can," Dr. Calvin nodded, but he had a strange look in his eyes as he watched Spectra give Tom some pens and paper.

Tom finished the examination through writing. However, as Spectra walked out with him, she turned back to look at Calvin and Carrie. Calvin whispered something to Carrie, and she sighed and scribbled down whatever it was on a paper.

Benny's examination was probably the longest: about twenty minutes. By the time the door opened, it was past the children's usual lunchtime, and they were quite antsy to leave. Benny walked out with a rather confused expression, and Carrie trailed after him, looking a bit sad.

"How did he do?" asked Spectra in a quiet tone, pulling Carrie aside.

Carrie chewed on her lip. "He...he's a fourteen-year-old with a fourth-grade education, and it really shows,"

"Tim?" Benny got his younger brother's attention. "What's a 'prism'?"

Spectra overheard this, and she sighed. "Oh, Benny..."

She took the kids out to lunch once they were out of the building, and as they were eating, Caleb asked, "When do we go to school, Spectra?"

"To be honest, I don't know," Spectra admitted, stirring her lemon tea. "They'll email the results to Bloodgood tomorrow morning, and then she'll set up a date for you to come in. We just have to see what classes you'll be put in, first,"

"I remember my old teacher," Tim spoke up, cutting into a piece of toast with a dull knife. "His name was Mr. Herringdeen. He used to fall asleep on his desk, and he'd snore like this," he then mimicked a sound that was a bit like a tea-kettle, and Tom snickered in response.

The next morning, the SCP emailed the results just like they'd promised.

Lillian would be entering first grade. Despite the fact that she hadn't even gone to school in the past, she had the mental capacity of a first grader and would be entering the class.

Caleb was going into fourth grade. He should've been in fifth, but just to be safe, he was placed a year behind. Dr. Calvin suggested the use of a teacher's aide in the classroom, as he suspected that Caleb may have ADD.

For Tim, it was sixth grade. Like Caleb, he should have been a year ahead, but since Tim was in sixth when Mary pulled him out, it only made sense to pick up where he left off.

This was where things got unusual: Tom wasn't going into 6th grade with his brother. Instead, Dr. Calvin explained that Tom was to be placed in a program known as NSEC (an acronym for 'New Salem Education Center') due to his issues. Since NSEC was within the school, Tom would still be able to have lunch with his brother every day, though their classes would not be the same.

Benny's placement in the school, according to the email, was chosen after much consideration and conversation. They'd finally decided to place him back in fourth grade, due to the fact that he'd left off there. Dr. Calvin assured that both Benny and Tom would re-take the examination after the five-week marking period to get higher scores and hopefully end up in better classes.

Bloodgood explained this to the children up in their room, and she passed out their schedules for the first day of school.

"So, Benny and I are in the same class?" Caleb asked, sounding excited.

"Yes," Bloodgood nodded. "Of course, until Benny passes the exam re-take,"

Benny looked uncertain. "A...Are you sure I can pass that test, Miss Bloodgood?"

Bloodgood smiled at him, putting a hand on his thick shoulder. "I know you can, Benny. You'll do well in that class, I know you will,"

Tim then noticed his brother nearby, staring at the schedule with his head resting on the backboard of their bed. Tim sat beside him and took a look at the schedule with him.

"Don't worry, Tom," Tim put an arm around his brother and squeezed him gently. "You'll do fine,"

"But..." Tim looked back up as his brother spoke. "W...what if we...we do bad things?"

Tim shook his head. "Oh, it'll be fine. Stop worrying so much,"

* * *

 **Glad I could finish this today! This is probably going to be the longest story I've written so far...**

 **My show was performed at my school last night! We did an excellent job! I'm going to miss hanging out with my cast members at rehearsals...**

 **But, if you're wondering why I'm posting at this time, it's because I'm sick again and I'm taking the day off. Lucky me, I guess, even though I can't stop coughing.**

 **Questions, comments, or theories? Please review! I would appreciate that very much.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26:

The First Day

The first day of school for the children was a Wednesday.

Spectra got the kids up around 6:00, made breakfast for them and helped them pick out outfits all before 7:00. Bloodgood then drove them all up to the school, which was the conjoined Skelementary and Junior High, and she dropped them off with Spectra.

"Now, Spectra," Bloodgood was a bit breathless. "Carrie is waiting for the children in the main office. You have to make sure the children get to their classes safely before you return home,"

Spectra nodded. "Of course, Miss Bloodgood. What time should the kids come home?"

"Whenever the day ends," Bloodgood explained quickly. "Dismissal is usually 2:35. Now, take the kids in! I'm going to be late,"

The Skelementary school had changed drastically since Spectra had last left through those doors. How old had she been? It was after she'd shed her old skin and gained her ghost form, and the aging had begun. Puberty was a strange process with ghosts- it happened fast. One morning, Spectra awoke with the shocking realization that her chest felt heavier and her body was tingling all over. This was all, fortunately, (menstruation wasn't a worry, for female ghosts had no blood to shed), but it gave Spectra a thought.

As she gazed at the children, she wondered: when they achieved their ghostly forms, however long that would take, would they change? Of course, their appearances would change- Tim's face would heal, Tom's injuries would disappear, Lillian's original eyes would become visible, and Caleb's skin would reappear, restoring his body to what it previously had been. But, what about Benny? He didn't look dead, and he was a young teen, so he would hit puberty, wouldn't he? That would difficult, seeing as he had the mentality of a child but the body of a young man. It seemed so far off to Spectra, but she knew that the transformation could take place at any time.

Carrie was standing in the main office, which was adjacent to the lobby with glass windows. Spectra saw her through the window, and she led the children inside.

"Hello, there," Carrie smiled as the children entered. "Welcome to your first day, children! What do you think so far?"

The children examined the office quietly. "It's big!" Caleb stated finally. "We won't get lost, will we?"

"There's a map on the back of your schedule," she explained, pulling up a few chairs and motioning for the children to sit. "If you get lost, you can just look at the map, or you can talk to a hall monitor. Now," Once everyone was seated, Carrie began: "Lillian, Caleb, and Benny will be going to the Skelementary wing. Lillian's classroom is the last one on the left with a '#1' on the door. The teacher's name is Ms. Sandra. Caleb and Benny's classroom is right across from Lillian's, with a '#4' on the door, and the teacher's name is Mr. Sheer," she looked up from the paper she was reading off of, and she smiled briefly. "Now, Tim and Tom: both of your classrooms are in the Junior High wing, which is just past the cafeteria, or the 'Creepateria', as some students call it. Tim's homeroom class is 'R105', and you'll go through each of your classes according to your schedule. Tom's classroom is in the 'Alternative Hallway', just to the right of the cafeteria and bathrooms. There will be a sign pointing to it that will say, 'New Salem Ed'. Any questions?"

When everyone was quiet, Carrie smiled again. "Great. You all eat lunch at 12:00. Have a good first day!"

Spectra left a bit reluctantly, and she glanced behind to look at the children nervously as they scattered off to their various classes. _Please just let this be a normal first day..._

Lillian, Caleb, and Benny wandered into the Skelementary Wing, looking at the room numbers.

"Hey, look!" Caleb looked through the window of the 3rd-grade classroom. "They're making volcanos!"

Benny yanked him away quickly. "Caleb, no! That's not ours! Ours has a four, remember?"

Lillian saw the '#1' at the end of the hallway, and she approached the door carefully. After grabbing the handle and turning it, she was faced with a classroom full of children her age.

The teacher, a thick-bodied bear woman with dark fur covering her arms, gasped as Lillian entered. "Oh, there you are!" Ms. Sandra exclaimed, clapping her hands and getting the attention of the other children in the room. "I heard you were coming today, and I was just about to look for you! Come up here with me, dear,"

Lillian warily hovered up beside Ms. Sanda, tugging nervously at her skirt as the teacher began to speak. "Children, this is Lillian, a new student! Say hello,"

" _Hello, Lillian,_ " The small voices droned from different areas of the classroom. One student said nothing, and Lillian noticed him right away. "Toshio!" she called, pointing at him.

Toshio looked up from the computer, and he pulled a chair up next to him and motioned to it. When Lillian looked to Ms. Sandra, Ms. Sandra just laughed. "We're having quiet time, dear, so you can see what Toshio's playing on the computer. Just stay quiet! All right everyone, back to quiet time,"

As the students went back to their books and other quiet activities, Lillian sat beside Toshio at the computer. "What are you playing, Toshio?" she inquired as he clicked away at a computer game.

"It's called 'Pumpkin World'," explained Toshio, offering an ear bud for Lillian to listen. "It's dumb, but check this out,"

Lillian watched tentatively as a talking pumpkin at a restaurant table asked for some salt, and Toshio dragged the pizza to it instead. "No!" the pumpkin on the game exclaimed angrily, slapping the pizza away in a poorly animated fashion. "I don't want that!"

Both children giggled, and Toshio continued with the game.

Across the hallway, in the fourth-grade classroom, Benny and Caleb were faced with a rambunctious group of students and a seemingly non-existent teacher.

A young werewolf pup, a female, stood in front of the classroom, donned in a cheap purple robe and a paper crown atop her ivory hair. With a mighty howl, she thrust her plastic sword in the air and proclaimed, "I am the queen of the universe! The waves of the ocean part and they wash over me, and the water is warm!" She pointed the sword to Caleb. "Who dares challenge me!?"

Caleb was pleased by her attention, but Benny just looked around anxiously. "Where's the teacher? Why are you all playing?"

"Oh, we don't know where the teacher is," it was Emily, who was also in the class. "He wasn't here when I walked in,"

Benny felt like it was his responsibility to find Mr. Sheer, and he headed for the door. "Well, _I'm_ gonna go look for him! He's gotta be somewhere in this school,"

However, before Benny could leave, he stopped in his tracks at the sound of a snide and raspy voice: "I know where he is. He's in this room,"

Benny turned around, seeing a hyena boy who looked only a little younger than Benny himself. The hyena grinned with yellow teeth, and he spoke up again.

"I'll tell you where he is if you can catch me,"

Caleb noticed the boy, and he got the attention of the wolf pup. "Who's that?"

"That's Aini Salim," the young wolf explained, her voice hushed slightly. "This is his third year in fourth grade, and he's not too happy about it,"

Aini stood up, and he crossed his arms as he stood face to face with Benny. "You wanna play, fat boy? I hate Mr. Sheer, and you will, too! I'm doing you a favor, kid," he seemed to spit his words. "If I run, and you catch me, I'll tell you where Mr. Sheer is. Got it?"

Benny backed away and began to wring his hands. "I-I don't want any trouble, now,"

"I can catch you," Caleb stood up, recalling all those track and field games he won years ago. "I'm probably faster than you,"

Aini sneered at him, flicking his ears. "Really? I'm betting you don't gotta lot of knives in your drawer, Bones,"

Caleb tipped his head to the side. "Huh?"

"What I'm saying is," Aini walked right up to Caleb fearlessly and flicked his hair. "I think your brain rotted with the rest of your skin,"

There was a pause, and Caleb noticed the closet in the back of the room. "Is the teacher in the closet?"

Aini's confident grin vanished almost instantly, and he darted in the direction of the closet. Caleb reacted quickly and chased after the hyena, pouncing on him and keeping him to the ground.

As the two of them squabbled like wild cats, Benny ran to the closet and tugged the latch to open it. When it didn't budge, he realized that it had been glued shut with what appeared to be gorilla glue.

"Benny, just pull on it!" Emily's shrill voice made him jump, and he started pulling the doors fiercely.

" _NO!_ " snarled Aini, and he wriggled away from Caleb to stop Benny. Emily leaped in front of the hyena and screamed in his face, but Aini just tried to fight her, too.

All of Aini's endeavors were in vain, and Benny pulled the door loose. It swung open and out stumbled Mr. Sheer, a ram with a pair of hooved hands that had clearly been scratching against the interior of the closet this whole time. Mr. Sheer glared at Aini and huffed loudly through his nostrils.

"You-you-you-!" the sheep was so angry it seemed he had forgotten how to compose sentences. "You _worm!_ Why your parents decided to keep you instead you throwing you in a dumpster fire when they had the chance, I'll never know! But, I swear- after this, I will not stop until both my class and this school are completely rid of your inane, simpering, moronic _presence!_ "

Aini just stared at him silently, and a slow grin spread across his face. He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys.

Mr. Sheer began enraged once more. "Are those-!? Are those _MY KEYS!? WHY YOU LITTLE-!"_

The teacher chased the boy down the hallway, and the children burst into laughter. Benny, however, didn't like all the disorder, and he began to dig through the bookshelf to find a good book to read.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27  
The Hyena and The Coyote

As the twins were about to part ways in the hallway to the Junior High rooms, Tom's anxiety suddenly hit him.

"Tim," he grabbed his brother's arm nervously. "Tim, should we...?"

Tim just sighed, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Tom, it's gonna be okay. Look, your classroom's right there, and I'm right down the hallway from you. It'll be okay,"

There was a pause, and Tom slowly turned away. "S-see you at lunch, Tim,"

Not being in the same class as his brother made Tom incredibly anxious, though he would never admit it to anyone else except Tim. They were always together- it felt wrong to be apart.

Tom cautiously pushed open the door to the alternative classroom, and he walked in on what appeared to be an instruction video for some computer program. The class was small, with maybe about seven other students, and the teacher noticed him right away.

Mr. Stewart, the teacher and the only normie in the school, smiled and gestured to an empty desk. "Have a seat, Tom," he said in a hushed voice, trying not to distract the other students from the video. The students already had noticed Tom, and they were staring at him.

Tom was seated beside the wall, right in the front row. Behind him was a cyborg girl with an old clock built into her chest, who was rocking back and forth slowly muttering nonsense. To his right was a male hyena boy who looked a bit too old to be in middle school, and the hyena was chewing noisily on a Slim Jim as Tom sat down.

The hyena took a look at Tom, and he offered him a packaged Slim Jim. "Ya want one?" Tom shook his head, but the hyena handed him one anyway. "You need it, you too skinny,"

The video presentation ended, and Mr. Stewart stood up and shut the TV off. "That was the instruction manual for a new computer program we're getting," he explained. "It should be coming tomorrow, and the laptops will be available by then. Any questions?"

" _WHEN'S JESUS GONNA TAKE ME!?"_ exclaimed the cyborg girl behind Tom, and she dropped her head back on the desk and muttered what sounded like a chant. There was a pause, and Mr. Stewart cleared his throat.

"All right, then. Class? This is Tom, a new student,"

Tom felt the eyes of the other students focusing on him, but he pretended not to notice. He waved slightly.

Mr. Stewart smiled warmly, and he asked, "Could you tell us a bit about yourself, Tom?"

"L-like what?"

"Is there anything you're good at?"

Tom looked away. "No,"

Mr. Stewart's smile didn't disappear. "Everyone's good at something,"

After a moment, Tom answered, "W-well, I..I like to write. A-and I used to like to cook, but I'm not allowed to use the stove, and..." he shifted awkwardly: he'd never talked in front of this many people, even if it was a small class. "And I've never really talked in front of folks before,"

"That's fine," came Mr. Stewart's voice, gentle and fatherly. "Thank you, Tom. Now," he turned to a stack of notebooks and began to pass them out. "Time to write. Today, I want you to write about what a time in your life when everything changed, and if it was a good change or a bad one, and how it affected you,"

Tom was presented with a lovely, dark blue notebook, and he wrote his full name on the front with his specialized pen: _Thomas J. Weaver._ He then flipped to a clean page and tapped the desk thoughtfully, thinking.

He had a sudden thought, and he put his pen to the paper and began to write: " _Myself, my three brothers, and my younger sister all used to live in the woods by ourselves since 1924. We died in a fire, and we were alone. I used to sit under the bridge near the campgrounds and think about anything, anything I wanted. Even when I was alive, I knew my parents could never restrict my thought, so I would think all the time. One night, I was under the bridge, thinking about what it would be like to be alive again, and my twin brother came and told me that there were people here to see us..."_

Further down the hallway, Tim approached room 105. He glanced down at his schedule to see if he had the right class- Tech 101. Yes, that was the class he picked out, and he pushed the door open and entered.

The room was full of different tables, with children working diligently at each one. Tim watched as they all fiddled with various pieces of equipment, and he wondered when he would get to work at a table with electronics.

"Are you Tim?" a gruff, female voice asked, and Tim looked up.

She was a rough-looking, dark-haired woman who was maybe in her thirties. She was short in stature with an ill-fitting vest, and Tim almost wondered if she were a human. Yet, once he took note of her pointed ears and thin face, he realized that she was some sort of elf creature.

Tim nodded in response to her question. "Yes, Ma'am,"

"You can call me Ms. Kinsman," she flipped her packet of papers over to a seating chart. "Ah, yes- Tim Weaver, table number seven, in the back. Your lab partners are Roxette, Peter, and Sidney. Have a seat,"

Tim headed to the back, slightly nervous, and he stopped at the table in the back. There were two children, a young and very pretty vampire girl with red hair, and a brown mouse in a smart green jacket, and they both looked up when they saw Tim.

"Hi!" the vampire grinned, showing her fangs. "My name's Roxette! Are you Tim?"

"Yeah, that's me," Tim answered, slinging his bag off his shoulder and setting it on the floor. "Today's my first day,"

The mouse smiled shyly at Tim and pushed an instruction manual towards him. "Here's what we're working on, it's a circuit board. I'm Peter, by the way,"

Tim pulled up a stool and took a seat, saying, "Nice to meet you, Peter. Let me take a look at this," Tim looked over the manual, tapping the smooth wood of his mask thoughtfully. "Okay, this looks interesting. Where are-?"

"You're in my seat," the voice of a prepubescent boy snapped irritatedly above Tim and Tim realized that this must be Sidney.

Sidney was a coyote, with thick blonde locks atop his head and a T-shirt that said, " _Varsity Basketball_." He glared accusingly at Tim and motioned for him to get out of his seat.

Though slightly annoyed, Tim obliged. "Sorry," he muttered, slipping from the stool. "I didn't know,"

"You know now," Sidney picked up a small needle and dipped the tip in electric glue. "You better not do it again,"

 _Was that a threat?_ Tim wondered, shocked at the way this boy talked to him. He could flatten this pup in three seconds flat, but he didn't. He didn't want to get in trouble, but he could imagine the revenge he would take if Sidney ever crossed him: he would tie him up at the flagpole, and he would beat him until he stopped screaming. And then, he would take out his beloved carving knife and slit the mutt's throat. He could almost feel himself doing it- it was invigorating.

Tim had to shake himself out of the fantasy: he wasn't that boy anymore. He was a middle school student, not a murderer. Those days were behind him, and he repeated this ver and over in his mind as he reached for his materials.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

Love Song Requiem

Lunchtime finally arrived.

Just as promised, the Weaver siblings were allowed to sit together during lunch. They were directed by a monitor to a small table in the quieter section of the cafeteria, right beside the window. When the bell rang, the children met up with each other as soon as they could.

"You won't _believe_ what happened during my class today!" Caleb began excitedly as he unzipped his lunch box. "There's this crazy hyena kid named Aini, and he locked the teacher in the closet, then the teacher was yelling at him, and-"

"I hated it!" Benny cut in angrily. "The class is loud, those kids are mean, and the teacher's a sheep! Insanity, I say!"

Caleb huffed a bit. "It's funny, though. My old class was boring,"

"Do you even remember it?" asked Tim curiously. "Caleb, you weren't in school for very long,"

Caleb seemed almost offended by the notion. "Of course I remember! I remember a lot more than you do," he opened up a small package of bread and cheese. "This is a weird lunch,"

Tim agreed, recoiling a bit at the sight of a small leak in his juice box. "Miss Bloodgood usually prepares everything herself, and all of this is from the store," he shrugged. "Maybe she was busy,"

Tom, however, knew what was going on, though he didn't say it. He'd heard a conversation between Bloodgood and her father, and he knew why she was too distracted to make food herself. He stayed quiet, though, since he figured it wasn't his business. Besides, the others would figure it out eventually.

Just as Lillian was about to tell her brothers all about the funny computer game she and Toshio played, Ms. White approached the table.

"How is everything?" she inquired, smiling sweetly.

"Great!" answered Tim. "It's a lot better than our old school. Everything's so clean!"

Ms. White seemed incredibly pleased. "I'm so glad! Now, listen- one of our guidance counselors, Miss Sue, is also caring for some rogue souls, and they've been a little nervous about eating with the other kids. They're also identical twins, just like Tim and Tom, and I'm sure they'd love to meet you all,"

The children all exchanged glances with one another before Tim nodded. "All right. Where are they?"

"They're out in the hallway. I'll go get them," She stepped away into the hallway, and returned presently with two girls at her side.

They were probably around eleven years old, rather short in stature, with shoulder-length brown hair. They wore matching blue dresses with pink lace, with white socks and shiny black shoes. They didn't look dead at all- in fact, they were perfectly intact and healthy-looking. One sister had a sweet little smile on her face, while the other seemed nervous and rather agitated. As they took a seat, Carrie introduced them both.

"Kids, these are Lisa and Louise. Lisa, Louise, these are the Weavers. Say hello,"

The bolder one with the smile, Lisa, did a little wave. "It's my pleasure, friends," she was very articulate for her age. Louise said nothing, and she just unzipped her own lunchbox with a sullen expression.

As Carrie walked away, Tim tried to start a conversation. "You bring your own lunches, too?"

"Oh, yes," answered Lisa, taking out a fancy yogurt container. "This cafeteria food is horrible! We had it when we first started going here. They served us popcorn chicken, and there was a _hair_ in it!"

"That doesn't sound too bad," piped up Caleb. "It's still food,"

Lisa wrinkled her nose. "I don't care, it's nasty!"

As Louise opened up a small bag of carrot sticks, Tom watched her silently. He enjoyed looking at her- perhaps it was her dark eyes that drew him in. Louise noticed him looking at her, and her brow furrowed suddenly.

She set down her carrot sticks and turned to her bag, unzipping a small pocket. She took out a little comb shaped like a butterfly, and she leaned over the table to brush some hair from Tom's masked face. He startled a bit, but soon relaxed as she ran the comb through his messy hair.

After a few seconds, she pulled back, smiling and admiring her work, and she set the comb down. Louise then reached back into her lunchbox and pulled out a heart-shaped cookie, and she split it down the middle. As she handed Tom a half, Tom could feel himself smiling, though he knew no one could see.

Tom and Louise didn't speak one word to each other during that entire lunch period, but he knew he was enamored with her once the bell rang. He thought about her for the rest of the day, and nothing could banish her from his mind. He only had one worry: did she feel the same about him? He could read her mind, but he didn't want her to think he was rude.

At the end of the day, Spectra picked the children up from school and took them home, and she heard all about their first day. Bloodgood got quite the earful as well when she returned home.

"My goodness!" Bloodgood exclaimed as she poured fresh lemonade for the children. "It sounds like all of you had quite the first day! And Caleb, Benny, I'd like to learn more about your experience. You see, we've had issues with Mr. Sheer in the past, though never quite like this,"

"It wasn't too bad," Caleb answered, fiddling with his straw. "It was interesting,"

Benny huffed in an irritated fashion, but he didn't argue this time. After checking some Emails on her laptop, Bloodgood stood up from her chair. "If you'll excuse me, children. I'll be right back,"

She headed upstairs to her bathroom, and she shut the door behind her. Once she'd made sure that no one had followed her, she shrugged out of her jacket and opened up her medicine cabinet, digging around through the various pill bottles until she found it.

As she unscrewed the top to the pill bottle, she mentally crafted the lie she would tell her father: _"I fell down the stairs, and then I was bleeding. I didn't want the children to see the blood, so I cleaned up everything myself. I miscarried- you won't get a grandchild. I'm sorry,"_

Nora took out a little white pill and clutched it in her fingers, examining it. So small, yet so powerful. She'd been waiting all day to take this pill- she didn't want this child.

However, as she was about to swallow the pill, she halted suddenly. A great sense of unease spread through her body, and she removed the capsule from her tongue as she fully contemplated what she was about to do. This child was the result of a memory that she shuddered to think about, and yet, she considered something: this might be her only chance to have a child. She wasn't a young woman, and her biological clock was ticking. Her body wouldn't be able to bear children after this.

 _Not this way,_ she thought to herself. _I'm in no way prepared for this. I should have had children when I was younger, not now. Would I even be able to love this child?_

She thought of her other former students who had illegitimate children. They all loved their children, despite where they'd come from- why couldn't she?

Shaking her head, she put the pill back into the bottle and screwed the lid back on tightly. She couldn't do it.

Two whole months passed. The children steadily adjusted to their new school days, and they began to spend their days as seemingly average children. As the days progressed, both Spectra and Bloodgood began to wonder when they would transform into their ghostly selves. It seemed like it could happen at any time, but what were the signs?

"I meant to ask you, Spectra," Bloodgood spoke up as they prepared the food for the children's lunches. "What exactly will happen when the children transform?"

Spectra winced at her memories. "Well...from what I remember, the skin kind of peels off. You know how a spider sheds its skin and just leaves the dead skin behind? It's sort of like that,"

Bloodgood rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Interesting. Well, we know what to look out for, at least,"

The day after this conversation, Bloodgood became extremely nauseous and had to stay home. She didn't want to at first since she'd missed so many days of work already, but Spectra assured her that she would take care of everything. Spectra, however, had to play a part of the footage she'd taken to her office for her project. So, Nora would be alone for the day.

Still slightly dizzy and disoriented, Nora took a long, hot shower to relax. As she worked the conditioner into her hair, she took a glance at her body and grimaced. She was noticeably pregnant, now, and she wasn't sure if anyone else knew about the baby outside of her family. She hadn't told the children- she was concerned about how they would react, and she certainly wasn't going to tell Stoker.

Nora wasn't even sure of Stoker was next door anymore. After the revelation that he was the Weaver's grandfather, he'd avoided all contact with them, and he hadn't even left his house. She saw Nelly occasionally, but then sometimes, Stoker's therapist would pull into the driveway. The therapist was an odd woman, and there was often a man of about thirty trailing behind her. This man was always dressed nicely with thick, brown hair, and he was always carrying a strange briefcase. Nora wondered if they were really therapists at all, though she didn't really care.

The water stopped, and Nora stepped out of the shower and grabbed her towel. When she placed on her bathrobe, she tried not to notice that it was tighter than it had once been.

A few minutes later, she'd changed into her comfortable dressing gown and sat down on the bed with a good book to read, ready to keep calm for the rest of the day. Yet, that wouldn't be the case.

About half an hour into her reading, the soft sound of sobbing caught her ears. Brow furrowing, she laid the book down, lifting her head in the direction of the noise. It was coming from the bathroom, so she arose and headed that way cautiously.

Nora switched the light on and listened once more. Someone was in the bathtub, right behind the closed curtain, and they were crying quietly. It seemed to be a man, and Nora had a feeling she knew who it was.

Praying within her mind, she pulled back the curtain, and she drew back slightly at the sight. It was James McAllroy, just as she'd suspected, and he stared up at her with terrified, wild eyes.

"I've asked you to leave several times," Nora told him sternly as if he were her student, though she knew full well he had the potential to kill her. "The children don't need to see you, and they don't want to. Move on already,"

"Oh, but I can't!" cried McAllroy, his voice full of desperation. "Please- I just want to apologize!"

Nora sighed. "I know, but I don't think they're ready for that. They don't need to be stuck in the past, and neither do you,"

"Please, just let me-!"

"No!" Nora snapped, raising her voice. "You _killed_ one of the children yourself, and you allowed that woman to control your mind! You are completely at fault, and if I were one of the children, I wouldn't want to speak with you, either!"

There was a pause as McAllroy looked away dejectedly, and Nora suddenly had a thought. Feeling a bit of regret at her outburst, she spoke up again, gently this time.

"McAllroy- no, James," he looked up when she said his name, and she continued. "Would you mind telling me exactly what happened with you and that woman?"

When he just stared at her, she offered her hand to him. He took it after a few seconds, and she nearly recoiled at the shock of how clammy his hand was. Were the Weavers' hands always that cold?

Nora led him downstairs to the dining room table, where she offered him a seat to speak to him. "Tell me," she began as he sank awkwardly into a chair. "What was your relation to Mary Weaver, exactly?"

James thought about it. "I...I knew her in school. She lived near me, you understand? That aunt of hers used to bring me eggs all the time, from her chickens. Mary never showed a speck of interest in me, 'till I got ordained," he paused, briefly, and continued. "You see, she was constantly trying to get my attention during my services- lifting up her skirt, pulling that neckline down, staring at me...I could've married her, but her uncle..." he shuddered. "Her uncle hated me. Why? Don't know. Didn't think I was a 'real Christian', for some reason. Anyway, he saw her lifting up her skirt one day, and he lost it. He dragged her outside, stripped her naked, and strapped her to the chicken coop in the backyard during a rainstorm. She was only nineteen, poor girl,"

Nora considered what she'd just heard. "So, her uncle was abusive?"

"Oh, of course," James answered certainly. "That was when Jennifer, Mary's aunt, threatened to leave. Don't think it's 'cause she cared about Mary, probably because she was jealous that Thomas preferred seeing Mary naked instead of her. A week later, they married her off to John. I thought they were happy together- they had a nice house, nice land, and they had a kid right after getting married. I thought she was happy, but...no,"

"What happened?"

"Two years later," he continued on. "She came to my Bible study group. I thought that was kinda weird since she only came to church on Sundays. After the study was over, and everyone had left, she cried to me. She said that John wasn't a loving man- he never hugged her, never kissed her and that they'd only had sex seven times within two years. He hated sex, apparently, and she was lonely. She wanted _me._ I tried to refuse her, I offered her money, prayers, anything at all, but she wouldn't hear it," he suddenly shivered and looked very ashamed of himself. "I...I don't know why I gave in, but I did filthy, _filthy_ things with her in the choir loft. When she left, I prayed and prayed for leniency, but I felt so dirty. I punished myself, and I didn't eat for a very long time. Then, I realized that it was her fault, and not mine. She was the sinner, not me,"

After a moment of contemplation, Nora asked, "What about the twins? They're your sons, aren't they?"

"Oh, no," James stated firmly. "They can't possibly be,"

"What?" Nora raised a brow. "But...the twins were born soon after your encounter with Mary, and you share similar features with them," it was true: they shared dark hair and brown eyes, and judging by photographs of the twins when they were alive, they looked very much like James.

James shook his head. "They aren't mine, I swear to you,"

"What makes you think that, exactly?"

"W-well, I don't mean to sound crude, but..." he looked embarrassed. "When we...when we did it, we were standing up. You can't father a child that way,"

Nora was struck totally silent after hearing this. "My God, are you serious?" when he nodded, Nora re-adjusted her position and took a deep breath: she could hardly believe that she was going to have to give a grown man 'the talk'. "You see, James, um...whenever...whenever a sperm cell and an egg cell meet up, it will always result in pregnancy, even if you are standing,"

"What?" James's brow furrowed. "What are you saying?"

"You're from a time period where science wasn't very advanced," Nora went on. "You see, James- anytime you have unprotected sex, you risk getting the woman pregnant. The position doesn't matter,"

James looked away, and he still seemed confused. After a moment, Nora sighed.

"You know what? Let's just move on. Tell me about the woman you were with on the night of the fire. Was she your wife?"

"No," he replied, looking almost angry. "I barely knew her name, but..." his expression changed, and he looked as though he would cry. "She said she loved me, and...I believed her. I thought she really did love me, so I told her about Mary, about what happened, and she said she could make things right,"

Nora nodded. "So, she forced you to help her?"

"Yes," came the answer. "I didn't want to do it, believe me! I loved those children! I never wanted to hurt them, I promise! I don't know what came over me, I felt like I had to obey her, no matter what. I want to tell them everything. Please, Ma'am,"

Nora stood up, sighing. "James, I need to take you to the SCP. They can help you. I'd prefer it if you got help before you talked to the children," the baby in her womb turned suddenly and sharply, and she gasped involuntarily. "Ah! S-so sorry, I-" she halted when she realized he was gone. "James?"

She wandered around the house, looking for him, but he seemed to have simply vanished. A wave of dizziness swept over her, so she gave up and went back to bed.

* * *

 **I'm sorry this is so late, haha! And I apologize for the length of this chapter- pretty long!**

 **I've been pretty busy: I've got tests this week, I'm participating in a sort of concert, and I'm going on a trip to New York City next weekend! It's a school trip, for the drama club and the music program. It should be fun, but I obviously won't be posting while I'm there.**

 **Questions, comments, or theories! Please let me know in a review!**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29:

The Prince of the Playground

 **Warning: this chapter contains strong language. Please be aware of this.**

It happened on a Thursday.

Thursday began as any average Thursday would- it was the day before Friday, so everyone was antsy for the day to end. The classes went by, as usual, until it was lunchtime.

"Caleb, what are you doing?" sighed Tim as he watched his brother stare anxiously up at the speakers on the wall.

Caleb chewed his sandwich slowly as he didn't break his gaze. "Aini said he would break into the speakers today and play loud music," he explained. "I'm waiting to see if he really does it,"

Tim just shook his head. "He's full of it. I wouldn't listen to him,"

Just then, Lisa and Louise took their seats. "Oh," began Lisa, bubbling with excitement. "You won't believe it! The strangest thing happened in the library today!"

As she told her story, Tom turned to Louise, only to see her with her face downcast. As she picked at the lining of her lunchbox, Tom tried to talk to her.

"L-Louise?"

She didn't answer. Something was wrong.

"Louise?" he asked again, a little louder this time. He reached out and touched her hand, and she immediately broke into tears.

Lisa paused her story when she heard her sister sobbing. "Louise?" she put an arm around her twin, concerned. "Louise, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

After a few minutes, Louise just began to whimper softly, but she still didn't speak. Tom had an idea- he passed her a piece of paper and a pen while gesturing to her that she should write.

Louise knew what he was asking her to do, and she picked up the pen slowly. She scribbled something down and showed it to her sister.

"Oh!" exclaimed Lisa in alarm as she read what her sister had written. "Oh, no!"

"What?" asked Tim, and Lisa turned the paper around.

It read: _some boys were making fun of me. they said something about our papa and the looney-bin and that they would feed my pet rat to the class snake._

Lisa pursed her lips together angrily. "Who said it, Louise!? Tell us!"

Louise just shook her head, but the others urged her on. "If you say who it was," suggested Caleb. "We'll beat them up for you!"

When Louise still refused to speak, Tom knew what to do. He tapped into her mind- it was easy, he'd done it before, and Louise realized what he was doing right as he figured out who it was. Her eyes widened up at him as he took in the information slowly, and he turned towards a table of boys in the back.

A low growl rose up from Tom, and it got Tim's attention. "Tom?" Tim looked over at his brother. "Tom, what is it?"

There was a pause, and Tom headed over to the table noiselessly. As he neared the table of talking and laughing boys, he spoke. "Which one of you is Sydney?"

They didn't seem to hear him, so he asked again. "Is Sydney at this table?"

The boys (there were about four of them- a dragon pup, a coyote, some sort of deer creature, and a male harpy) all looked up, and the coyote stood rather proudly.

"That's me," Sydney flashed a cocky smile. "You got beef?"

"You were attacking Louise," Tom spoke slowly, but menacingly. "You hurt her very much. She's crying, now,"

Sydney gave a laugh. "Ha! She said she got 'attacked'? My friends and I were having some fun, and she should learn to take a joke," he turned to his friends and jabbed a finger in Tom's direction. "Yo, who is this guy, anyway?"

"He's one of the new kids," the dragon boy sneered. "He's from the retard room!"

"Not a retard," snarled Tom under his breath. The anger was rising in him, and he could care less if he lost control and snapped these boys like twigs.

Sydney smirked, crossing his arms. "Well, what are you gonna do about it, tough guy?"

Tom was silent, then he lifted his head slowly. "You're not as strong as you think you are," Tom replied, cool and collected. "The only other students you harass are the ones you know won't fight back, and likewise, the only individual you _won't_ stand up to is your father, because he's stronger than you. You didn't get that bruise on your shin from a game of baseball- your dad went berserk because you took his phone charger. You think the only reason your father even likes you is because of your accomplishments, and you're probably right,"

"What the fuck!?" Sydney tried to sound tough, but his voice cracked. His friends were staring at him.

"You think you're smarter than everyone," Tom went on. "But in reality, all you do is write bad, meaningless poetry because you know your teacher is too lazy to read any of it. You take a technology class because you think you can get Roxette to date you, but you know she only sees you as a jerk. My brother is better than you on every level, and you know it, but you won't admit it to anyone. No amount of hot glue will fix your parents' marriage, and all the sports in the world won't make you less insecure. You're the Prince of the Playground, little boy,"

There was a long, awkward pause, and the dragon pup said, "Dude...I think he read your mind,"

"Is Roxette that vampire girl?" the deer asked, but Sydney had just about had it.

"You fucking retard cripple piece of shit!" Sydney yelled though it was clear he was holding back tears. "Y-you don't know what you're talking about!"

At this point, Tim, (who had been listening to the whole thing) stepped forward. "I should add," he began smugly. "That the only reason you bring our teacher cookies and a bottle of soda each morning is because you know it'll help your grade,"

Sydney let out a loud snarl and lunged at Tom, but Tom was too quick. He grabbed both of Sydney's arms and held them behind his back, whispering harshly, "I'll snap both of them. I've done it before,"

As Sydney cried out, an adult came walking briskly to the scene. "What's going on!?" it was Ms. Kinsman, and she looked very upset. "Why are you attacking Sydney!?"

Tom released Sydney, and Sydney tried to explain what happened, but he ended up bursting into tears. Tom just eyed him smugly. "I was having fun. He should learn to take a joke,"

"This isn't a joke, this is harassment!" barked Ms. Kinsman. "Now, you leave him alone!"

This was Tim's breaking point, and he felt he had to speak. This would later prove to be a mistake. "Ms. Kinsman, why do you constantly defend him? You know he picks on other kids,"

"That doesn't matter," Ms. Kinsman said quickly, handing Sydney a tissue. "Go to your seat. _Now,_ "

Tim, on the other hand, just crossed his arms defiantly. "It doesn't matter because he's like your own child, isn't he? He must be since you're too ugly for anyone to want to-"

This was as far as he got, for Ms. Kinsman screamed suddenly, " _SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP! BOTH OF YOU! YOU'RE BOTH GETTING DETENTION, YOU MENACES!_ "

Before Tim and Tom could do anything, Ms. White was there. "Okay, okay," she was saying, gently ushering the boys away. "Ms. Kinsman, please-"

"It's your fault, Carrie!" Ms. Kinsman yelled. "You need to stop coddling them! I've never seen such disrespectful little...little... _twats!_ "

Tom growled at her, but Carrie held him back. "Please calm down," Carrie pleaded, looking upset. "We don't want a scene," she then turned and led the twins quietly out of the cafeteria, though every student had already seen the incident.

The other Weaver children just sat there in shocked silence, while Lisa and Louise tried to forget what had just happened. Yet, it was at this moment that the sea of awkward silence was parted like waves by the loud music that burst from the speakers throughout the entire school:

 _"HUMP ME,_

 _FUCK ME,_

 _DADDY BETTA MAKE ME CHOKE-!"_

The lunchroom erupted into laughter, and Caleb shouted triumphantly, "I told you! I told you guys Aini would do it!"

School ended a few hours later, and Tim and Tom found themselves in the detention room with Mr. Carl, the grumpy werecat detention teacher, and Aini. As Mr. Carl 3watched a movie on his computer and ate crackers straight from the box, Tim leaned over to talk to his brother.

"We gotta get back at Sydney and Ms. Kinsman," Tim whispered harshly. "What should we do?"

Tom just scribbled on a paper with his pen. "Tim, I think-"

He was cut off when Mr. Carl violently shushed him. "Stop!" he hissed, removing an earbud. "I'm trying to watch 'Cats: The Musical'! I couldn't finish it during my lunch break,"

The twins just exchanged glances, and they waited until Mr. Carl put the earbud back in. Once he was distracted, Tom continued. "I think we should sabotage your technology room somehow,"

"I don't think so," Tim answered. "I like some of the kids in that class. I only really hate Sydney and the teacher,"

As they tried to think of something, Aini came striding over with a huge grin on his face. "Hey," he sat beside them, holding up a book titled " _Mysterious Myths and Legendary Legends"._ "Wanna hear some cool stuff?"

Tim looked back at Mr. Carl, seeing that he was crying over something this time. Tim sighed. "Yeah, sure,"

Still grinning, Aini flipped through the book to a page. "I really liked this story! Did you know that only five years ago, there was a singer named Billie Spencer?"

"How is that 'mysterious'?" asked Tim, eyeing the title.

"You see, Bille," continued Aini. "Looked just like a normie. He had normal eyes, normal hair, a normal face," he turned the page to show the others a picture of the young singer. He was very handsome, with thick dark hair and a nice outfit. "But guess what? He wasn't a normie! One day, he was at a meet and greet, and he was acting really weird. Some fan tried to take a picture of him without asking, and he lost it! He bit her, and when a security guard tried to pull him away, Billie _ate_ him!"

Tim was skeptical. "That doesn't sound real. Why would he eat him? What was he really!?"

Aini was enjoying this immensely. "The people who were there say that Billie turned into a wendigo! That's why he was acting all weird! Isn't that crazy!?"

"Oh, hush!" Tim sighed, shaking his head. "That's not real. It can't be,"

"Hey, stranger things have happened!" Aini shrugged, closing the book. "Wendigos are totally real," as Aini leaned forward, a small bag full of a dark red substance fell out of his pocket, and he stooped to retrieve it. "Oh, shoot,"

The bag caught Tom's eye. "What's that?"

Aini looked up, holding up the bag. "This? Oh, this is some Carolina Reaper pepper. It's the world's _hottest_ pepper! I was gonna prank the teacher with it, but I didn't get to. I don't wanna eat it, but I don't think I wanna use it," he offered it to Tom. "You want some? You could probably pull some master prank,"

Tom suddenly had an idea, and he took the pepper gratefully. "Thank you," he nodded. "I know what to do,"

As the twins left the school building at 4:00, Tim asked, "What are you gonna do with those peppers, Tom?"

Tom just stared down at the bag pensively. "You'll see," he answered darkly.

* * *

 **OMG, I'm so sorry for the lateness! I really hope this was worth it.**

 **So yeah, I was in NYC (New York City, for people who may not know the abbreviation) this past weekend. We did a Broadway Dancing Workshop with an actor from 'Hamilton', and then we went and saw a brand new Broadway show called 'BandStand' which was AMAZING. But our hotel room was really old and had a leaky faucet...that wasn't great.**

 **As for this chapter, do you have any thoughts? Any questions? Theories? Please let me know in your review!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30:

The Carolina Reaper

Friday morning.

The day began about as normally as most Fridays begin, until about second period of the day. The exact time was 9:00 AM, to be precise.

Ms. Kinsman had been complaining of a sore throat since her first-period class let out, and it was towards the end of her second-period class that she collapsed. She began drooling copiously while coughing and crying for help. One of the students ran to the nurse's office for help.

At the same time, the teacher of Sydney's second-period class noticed that he kept leaving the room for water almost constantly and that his eyes looked sore and puffy. Like Ms. Kinsman, he couldn't stop drooling and coughing, and things escalated dramatically when he suffered an asthma attack and nearly fell unconscious. An ambulance was called shortly after.

A student in Sydney's class examined the bottle of soda he'd been drinking, and he realized that it had been tampered with- more specifically, someone had put a strange, ground up powder into the liquid. After hearing this, the nurse took a look at Ms. Kinsman's drink and realized that the powder had been mixed with that drink as well. According to students, Sydney had bought both the drinks from a vending machine as well as packaged cookies, and he'd shared it with Ms. Kinsman. This was all the known information.

The children speculated about what could have happened throughout the day. Students who didn't like Ms. Kinsman said that she'd poisoned Sydney's drink, and then her own so she'd look innocent. Others wondered if there was a virus within the soda, so they began avoiding the soda machines and buying water instead. The other teachers were worried as well- what if it happened to them?

"And that's the Theory of Evolution, in a nutshell," concluded Mr. Stewart, setting down his piece of chalk and turning to the class. "Any questions?" When the class was silent, he smiled. "Good. You'll have a quiz this upcoming Thursday, so be ready," the lunch bell rang, and the student prepared to leave. "Keep your journals on your desk," Mr. Stewart said, watching as his students sat the journals down. "I'm going to be checking them tonight,"

All the students left, leaving their journals behind, all except for Tom. Tom stood there, clutching his journal, staring at it silently.

"Tom?" Mr. Stewart called out, his voice concerned. "Tom, is everything all right?"

Tom looked up, and he reluctantly set the journal down. As he left the room, Mr. Stewart felt a great sense of unease.

He walked up to the desk and grabbed the journal, leaning against the wall and flipping through the pages. There were all of Tom's usual things: his poems (which were _very_ impressive for someone his age), his short stories, his musings about unlife, and then the stray paragraphs where he gushed over a girl named Louise. However, when Mr. Stewart flipped to the most recently used page, he stopped short, his brow furrowing.

On this page, Tom had written what looked to be a disturbing poem. It went like this:

 _"One, two_

 _Melatonin is coming for you_

 _Three, four_

 _Oh, won't you lock the door?_

 _Five, six_

 _I'm done with this_

 _Seven, eight,_

 _It's getting late_

 _Close your eyes_

 _Sleep for days._

 _Nine, ten,_

 _Never want to see you again._

 _Eleven, twelve,_

 _I wear black so well_

 _You sit behind a curtain_

 _that I'm sick of sugarcoating._

 _Next time you're alone,_

 _think twice when you grab the phone._

 _Ashes, ashes,_

 _time to calm down._

 _Oh, tell me,_

 _Do you want it, now?_

 _Can't take you anymore,_

 _need to put you to bed._

 _Sing you a lullaby_

 _when you die in the end."_

Mr. Stewart closed the book slowly, taking a deep breath. He turned around in his chair and reached for the phone.

Once he dialed his desired number, he began, "Hello? Yes, Ms. White? Tom Weaver wrote something concerning in his journal,"

After lunch, the Weaver twins were called to the office.

As they entered Carrie's workspace, she noticed that they were both extremely quiet. They knew what this was about.

"So, Tom," Carrie began as the boys sat before her desk. She opened up the journal to the bookmarked page and pointed to the poem. "Can you tell me about this poem you wrote?"

Tom just looked away silently, and Tim rested his chin in his hand without a word. Carrie realized that this was going to be harder than she'd thought.

"It's all right," she assured gently, closing the journal. "Just talk to me, you two."

There was a pause, and Tim lifted his head up. "Will we get taken away if we tell you?"

Carrie thought about it. "Well, I don't know, to be perfectly honest. That's up to the SCP to decide,"

"There gonna take us away, I just know it," murmured Tom, beginning to rock back and forth. "They-they'll take us, and they'll make us stay in a cell with Mary and John, and-!"

Tom suddenly burst into loud sobs and Tim went to comfort him before Carrie could. "Oh, Tom, please don't cry!" his brother begged, wrapping a protective arm around him.

Carrie took Tom's mangled hand in hers and just comfortingly, saying, "Tom, it's all right. The SCP would _never_ put you in a cell with your parents, and please don't jump to such conclusions," once the boys were both calm, Carrie began once again. "Now, Tom, what can you tell me about the poem?"

Embarrassed over his emotional moment, Tom looked away and tried not to make eye contact. "M...Mr. Stewart wasn't supposed to see that,"

"And why not?" inquired Carrie. "Doesn't he usually see your journals anyway?"

Tom nodded. "Yeah, but he usually collects them at the end of the day, not before lunch. I thought I could get away with just ripping the poem out before the bell rang and taking it home,"

Carrie took this in quietly. "I see. What was so special about this poem in particular?"

Both twins exchanged glances, and Tim tried to make up a story. "Well, actually-"

Before he could begin, Tom cut him off. "You know what? I confess. It was us, we did it,"

Tim's head whirled to Tom in surprise. "Tom-!?"

"Sydney bullied my girlfriend," Tom explained somberly. "What made me especially angry was that he made fun of her father's mental illness. Louise and Lisa's father killed both of them because he was crazy, and Louise doesn't like bringing it up. It hurts her to think about it, just like it hurts to think about myself. Sydney has no right to make fun of that,"

There was a pause, and Carrie took a deep breath. "So...I'm assuming you tampered with Ms. Kinsman's drink as well?"

Tim realized that there was no point in lying, now. He thought about just attacking Carrie like he normally would, but he liked her too much. "Yeah, we got Ms. Kinsman, too. I put the powder in her drink when she went to look at her phone. She was totally clueless,"

The twins then went on to explain what the powder was must from: it was dried Carolina Reaper pepper (from Aini), crushed up Melatonin, and Benadryl. They'd almost used household bleach, but Tim realized that Bloodgood would know if they took it, so they left it alone. During the morning, Tim sprinkled the powder into both Ms. Kinsman and Sydney's sodas, and as far as he knew, no one had seen him. Enthralled by their devious plan, Tom wanted to always remember this day, so he wrote the poem in his journal. After hearing these things, Carrie held the twins in the office with her and called both Bloodgood and Spectra. They arranged to meet with the SCP after school to figure out what to do.

This was the beginning of the Green Widow Incident.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31:

The Skin

The meeting began as soon as school let out.

Miss Bloodgood, Spectra, Aaleyah, Dr. Calvin and Mr. O'Hare (the Skelementary and Junior high principal) were all there, along with Ms. White and the Weaver Twins. The other three Weaver children were in a small room right next door, and Tom could hear them talking quietly and watching the TV from where he was sitting. He would give anything to join them at this moment.

After a brief synopsis of the situation was given to the others by Ms. White, Dr. Calvin scribbled down some notes and turned to Tom.

"We didn't know you were able to read minds, Tom," Dr. Calvin spoke, his voice low but gentle. "Tell me- how long have you had that ability?"

Tom fiddled with his necktie for a few seconds before answering. "W-when I woke up the night after the fire, I realized I could do it. I read Benny's thoughts first, and then I used it on McAlroy later,"

Dr. Calvin tilted his head in interest. "Why did you use it on McAlroy?"

"To learn about why," Tom answered flatly. "So I could figure out who that woman was,"

Bloodgood perked up suddenly. "Did you find out, Tom?"

Tom shook his head. "No. McAlroy didn't even know who she was. When we realized he wasn't any good, we killed him,"

Calvin took more notes, then he asked, "Does anyone else in your family have this ability?"

"Only Lillian," Tim piped up. He'd been relatively quiet until this point. "She barely knows how to use it though. The only time I saw her successfully do it was when she read Bloodgood's mind to figure out where the lollipops were,"

Bloodgood couldn't help but smile. "So that's how she found them,"

At this moment, Ms. White took a paper from her folder and held it up to Mr. O'Hare. "Sir, while we're here, I thought I would give you this series of statements given by students after the altercation yesterday. According to these statements, Sydney had been subjected to violence at his home, and I was wondering if-"

"Oh, believe me, Ms. White," Mr. O'Hare cut in quickly. "We've been getting statements such as these about Sydney for maybe a year, now. We've sent CPS to the house more than three times, and each time they returned with no evidence of abuse. Now is really not the time for this discussion," he then turned to Tim and Tom. "Where did you two get that pepper? Your guardians don't have it in the home, do they?"

As the twins answered more and more questions, Spectra zoned out a bit. If her heart could still beat, it would be throbbing in agony right now. How could Tim and Tom have been so stupid!? They knew better than this...well, they actually didn't, as this wasn't nearly as violent as what they'd done in the past. Despite everything, the twins still didn't seem to grasp the idea that hurting others to the point of near death was wrong and not normal. Spectra wondered now if sending the kids to school this early was a good idea.

"This means that we may have to confiscate the kids for good," Aaleyah said suddenly.

Spectra looked up in alarm, breaking out of her trance. "What!?"

Dr. Calvin grimaced and shook his head at Aaleyah. "Oh, Aaleyah, please..."

"We had a deal that if the kids attacked anyone, that they would be ours," Aaleyah explained thickly. "Now, this doesn't mean that we'll have to take _all_ of them, but-"

Before she could finish, Spectra sprang out of her chair and grabbed the collar of Aaleyah's shirt, yanking her up to look her in the eyes. "Listen to me, you silly, _stupid_ woman! We've raised these kids, fed them, clothed them, and reformed them ourselves! We might as well be their mothers! I'm not going to throw away that relationship because of one dumb little coyote prick that couldn't keep his mouth shut!"

"Get off of me!" Aaleyah snarled, squirming in the ghost's grip.

"Hey, hey hey!" Dr. Calvin pulled the two women away from each other. "Please be civil! We don' want another incident,"

Spectra sank back down into her chair, and she suddenly realized what she had said. "Oh, my God! I-I'm so sorry, Aaleyah, for what I said. I don't know what came over me,"

Aaleyah just snorted and adjusted the scarf around her head. "Yeah, whatever. You're lucky we don't lock _you_ up,"

"Aaleyah, please!" Dr. Calvin pleaded, sounding upset. He sighed and turned back to Spectra and Bloodgood. "We're not going to take them, and we're certainly not going to take all five. I've worked out a possible solution, however, and I think it seems fair," he looked back down at his notes and cleared his throat. "Tim and Tom will be temporarily pulled from school for the next five weeks, and every Saturday they will have a two-hour counseling session. Their first session will be tomorrow morning at ten, right at the SCP Family center. How does that sound?"

Bloodgood nodded. "That sounds perfect. What time do you suggest we drop off the twins?"

"Oh, no, you won't be dropping them off," explained Dr. Calvin. "We'll send an SCP van to collect them. Is that fine?"

"Certainly," answered Bloodgood, turning to Spectra. "What do you think?"

Spectra seemed to be focused on something that was on her hand. After a moment, she looked up. "Um, y-yeah, that sounds great," when she bundled her hand in the corner of her skirt, Bloodgood raised an eyebrow in confusion, but she didn't ask.

After arriving home with all the children, Bloodgood went upstairs to her room to change into more comfortable clothes, and Spectra followed.

"Bloodgood, I need to talk to you," Spectra said quickly, stopping Bloodgood right in the doorway to her room. "After what happened with Aaleyah, something happened to my hand,"

The older woman took the other's hand, examining it. A small patch of gray, corpse-like skin had seemingly grown on Spectra's hand, and it looked extremely out of place compared to her white, soft and glowing skin. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Spectra admitted, sounding nervous. "It just appeared on my hand. It's smaller than it was before, though. Hopefully, it's fading away, but..." she held it up to the light. "It looks an awful lot like my skin from when I was a rogue soul,"

There was a pause, and Bloodgood ushered Spectra into her room. "Come, Spectra. Let's talk,"

As Spectra sat down on the bed, Nora began, "Has this happened before?"

Spectra shook her head. "No, it wasn't. Do you think..." she trailed off, looking up at Nora. "Do you think I'm becoming a rogue soul again?"

"Is that possible?" Nora inquired, nervous.

"I've never heard of it happening, but..." she glanced back down at her hand. "It's fading away, now,"

Nora took Spectra's hand once more and looked at it. The spot of dead flesh was beginning to fade away and blend with the rest of the skin, and Nora sighed in relief. "Well, let me know if it happens again. Milo can always look into it,"

She didn't let go of Spectra's hand for a few seconds, and Spectra had to be the one to pull away. "I wanted to ask something else," when she ad Bloodgood's attention, she asked, "What's going to happen to the kids once they're totally reformed and attained their ghost forms?"

After a long, pensive silence, Nora answered. "Well...my original plan was to put them up for adoption, but this was before I even met them. Now, I've just grown so attached to them, and I know you have, too,"

"Lillian calls me 'Mama'," Spectra responded her voice a bit far away. "And Caleb actually referred to me as 'Ma' this morning. Do you think...do you think I could adopt them once this is all over?"

"All of them?" when Spectra nodded, Nora cracked a smile. "Hopefully the SCP will allow you to. To be honest, I was planning on keeping them here, but they may be happier with you,"

Spectra thought about it, and she had an idea. "What if I didn't leave?"

"What?"

"Do you think I could move in?" Spectra inquired hopefully. "I like our current living situation, and I could just keep staying in that guest bedroom. The kids like the attic perfectly fine, so do you think it could work?"

Nora nodded after a moment. "I think that sounds wonderful. I have been longing for companionship since Abbey stopped visiting, and for the past eleven years its just been me and Nightmare- well, until now," she looked at Spectra and smiled. "And it's always nice to have extra help around here,"

Spectra smiled back, and they shared a hug. As Spectra pulled away, her hand came to rest atop Nora's, and both realized that the skin had completely disappeared.

"The skin is gone," Nora pointed out, her voice a little soft.

"Yeah," was all Spectra answered back with. Their eyes met, and Spectra soon found herself leaning in close to her former headmistress. Before anything could happen, Nora stood up suddenly.

"I have to change," Nora said quickly, trying not to make eye contact.

Spectra obliged and stood up as well. "Oh, okay. I'm so sorry,"

"No, no, you're fine," Nora assured as Spectra stepped out, though the awkward atmosphere remained.

Long after dinner had passed, Nora dressed into her nightgown and lay down on the couch to watch some television. The children were all upstairs and she'd already briefed the twins on what was to happen the next morning. She could only hope that this would be the only serious incident to come out of this experience.

Her baby shifted slightly, and she sat up a little to caress her stomach gently. "Hush," she told it gently, but firmly. "You stay up too late, my dear,"

The phone rang rather suddenly, making Nora jump. Without thinking straight of even checking the number, she answered. "Hello?"

The voice of a young boy replied back. "Um, hi. Is...is this Miss Bloodgood?"

Brow furrowing, Nora adjusted herself to get into a more comfortable position. "Why, yes, it is. Who is this?" She wondered if it was one of her students, though she couldn't quite place the voice.

"This is Sydney Aura,"

Nora let this sink in for a few seconds, and then she gasped. "Oh, goodness! Sydney, dear, how are you?"

His voice sounded a little scratchy and dry, but other than that he sounded like he'd mostly recovered. "I'm-I'm good. Listen..." he trailed off, and there was a pause. Nora could hear the sound of an older man whispering harshly about something, and then Sydney continued. "I'm sorry for...for being such a little jerk, and...and my dad is displaying some machines at the fair tomorrow morning, so I wanted to invite Tim and Tom,"

"The fair, huh?" amused, but also concerned, Nora continued. "Well, Tim and Tom won't be there tomorrow morning, because they have a counseling session. But, maybe their siblings would like to go,"

There was yet another pause, the sound of whispering, and then Sydney said, "Yeah, okay. I'll pay for...their...their ticks?"

At this moment, the same male voice from earlier snapped harshly from the other end. "No, tickets! Not ticks, you idiot!"

"Sydney is there someone with you?" asked Nora.

For a good thirty seconds, there wasn't an answer, but then Sydney's voice returned. "Uh, the TV is on. I'll pay for their tickets,"

"You really don't have to, Sydney. We can manage. Thank you for your offer,"

"Welcome," he answered meekly, and then the phone disconnected.

* * *

 **Ay, it's so late right now. It's 10:00 PM, and I'm really tired...but I have some notes!**

 **So, first off, I should probably say something important: tomorrow's my birthday! In about twelve hours, I will be eighteen years old! I guess that makes me an adult or something...**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're actually getting close to the finale, now, though there's still a bit to go. I really hope you've been liking this story, because I've been working VERY hard on it!**

 **Questions, comments, or theories? Please let me know in a review.**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32:

Crash

Just as promised, an SCP van came to retrieve the twins that Saturday morning.

"All right, now," Bloodgood began as the two boys prepared to enter the van. "Once your counseling session is over, the van will drive up to the Fairgrounds and drop the two of you off. Then, we'll have lunch at a food cart, all right?"

The boys nodded, and the driver (a tall, skinny man by the name of Darwich) just laughed. "Oh, don't you worry! I know how to find those fairgrounds. My daughter used to sell pies up at the fair years ago! Come on now, boys,"

When they were gone, Bloodgood headed back inside to get the other kids ready to leave. As Spectra helped Lillian pick out an outfit, Lillian just hovered around nervously.

"Something bad will happen," Lillian muttered, staring at the floor worriedly. "I just know it!"

Spectra just sighed, running a comb through the girl's hair. "Lillian, it's going to be all right. Tim and Tom will eat lunch with us after their session, so you'll see them!"

When Lillian just picked at Honey Bunny's ear nervously, Spectra had an idea. "Hey," she knelt down to Lillian's height, tucking her finger beneath her chin and lifting her head up. "If it bothers you that much, I have something that can help,"

Lillian perked up a bit. "Really?"

"You can tap into Tim and Tom's minds and read what they're feeling, even from far away," Spectra explained. "I used to do this when I was a rogue soul, and my mother got separated from me. I wanted to know what she was feeling, just so I could guess what was happening. Would you like to know how to do this?"

"Yeah!" chirped Lillian, pressing her hands together. "Show me!"

Spectra smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking Lillian into her lap. "Just think about Tim and Tom, and think very hard," Spectra instructed, her voice lowering slightly. "Think about how much you love them, and how much you want to see them,"

Lillian's brows knitted together, and she was very still for several moments. Just then, Bloodgood broke the concentration by yelling up the stairs.

"Lillian, Spectra! We're going!"

Spectra stood up, scooping Lillian into her arms. "We'll try it in the car, okay?"

Miles away, in the van, the twins sat in silence.

The seats in the van were strange, as they were the back of the van rather than the front, so the twins had to sit with their backs turned to the driver. It was a little nice, as they could have some privacy, but it was also rather isolating. As the radio hummed quietly over the car's engine, Tom finally spoke.

"Do you think we did the right thing?"

There was a long pause, Tim answered, "We didn't kill Sydney," he sounded a bit disappointed.

"But we weren't supposed to," Tom responded. "The whole point of being with Miss Bloodgood and Spectra was so that we could stop killing people, and then we tried to kill Sydney and Ms. Kinsman,"

"Are you blaming this on me?" asked Tim, upset. "Because it was your idea! You got the pepper from Aini in the first place,"

Tom went quiet and looked away, staring out the window. Tim sighed and glanced out the window himself, only to be hit with a startling realization.

"Um, excuse me?" Tim turned around and tapped on Darwich's seat. "We're going the wrong way. This isn't the way to the center,"

Darwich just laughed. "Don't you worry, kid! The normal road was blocked off, so we're taking a different road. We'll be there in no time!"

Bloodgood and Spectra arrived at the Fairgrounds around 9:45 in the morning, and they parked beside a tent full of animals. Lillian gasped excitedly when she saw a pen of rabbits.

"Mama! Mama!" Lillian tugged on Spectra's sweater sleeve. "Mama, there's bunnies! Look!"

Spectra couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, there is! Should we go look?"

"I think we should meet up with Sydney first," advised Bloodgood as she rearranged her purse. "After all, he did invite us here,"

They found Sydney standing alone outside a boarded up stand labeled 'darts'. He was absentmindedly chewing on a stick of meat, and as his guests approached, he set it down.

"Oh, hi," he began timidly. Bloodgood couldn't help but notice the patch of fur missing from his right arm, as his rough and dry skin was exposed. "I have some tickets for you guys," he handed over a rather large roll of carnival tickets, to which Bloodgood shook her head.

"Sydney, I said you didn't-"

"No, no," he held them up higher, a blank expression on his face. "They're for you,"

As the adults took the tickets and divided them up, Bloodgood asked, "Sydney, where is your father?"

Sydney didn't answer for a few seconds. "At the machinery tent," he answered finally. "He's displaying his motorcycle collection and this weird ink-making machine that he restored. I-I think he'll be too busy to talk to you,"

Bloodgood just smiled at him. "Nonsense. Spectra, stay with the children,"

She left them alone and began to walk, eventually coming across a tent marked, 'Machines, gears, and other things,' and entering.

There were lots of monsters there, all displaying different types of machines that they'd either built or reconstructed. Nora knew that she had to look for a male coyote and an ink-making machine, and she also knew that she was going to give Sydney's father a piece of her mind.

He was towards the back of the tent, with a huge sign that read, 'ORIGINAL AUTHENTIC INK MACHINE REBUILD' as well as a rack of motorcycles. The older coyote was toying with the ink machine as Bloodgood neared him.

"Are you the father of Sydney Aura?" inquired Nora, and he turned to look at her.

"What'd he do?" he asked, sounding almost paranoid.

Nora's eyes narrowed a bit at the reaction. "Nothing, sir. Your son called me last night?"

There was a long pause, and then he nodded. "Oh, yeah. That. The name's Chuck," He gave her a rather awkward handshake, and then asked, "Are your kids having fun?"

"Yes," Nora answered, trying to conceal her anger. "Your son is very kind for purchasing tickets for them,"

"Yeah," Chuck replied, turning back to his work. "Don't be fooled, though. He's a little shit. Glad the state finally came to its senses and gave me custody, his mom made him a spoiled crybaby. I'm toughening him up, you see?"

Nora took a deep breath and phrased her next sentence carefully. "Why is Sydney missing a patch of fur on his arm?"

Chuck turned her, seeming surprised. "What?"

"Sydney's missing a patch of fur," Nora went on to explain. "It appears to have been torn off. Care to explain what happened?"

"No idea," Chuck replied firmly. "Probably did that to himself. He cuts on himself a lot, don't know why,"

There was a long pause, and then Nora crossed her arms in an irritated fashion. "That's known as self-harm, Mr. Aura. It's a serious problem, and it is very ignorant of you to not get him checked. If you could just-"

"Aw, for Christ's sake," grumbled Chuck, tossing his wrench aside. "You sound like my dude Sebastian," he gestured to another coyote with a mohawk who was a few feet away. He was selling cans of motor fuel. "He won't shut up about how I should parent _my_ kid! You people gotta mind your own business, 'kay?"

Nora said nothing, though she was positively fuming. She turned away briskly on her heel and walked up to Sebastian at his table. "Are you Sebastian?" she asked as she approached.

Sebastian looked genuinely concerned. "Something wrong?"

"It's about your friend- Chuck," she scribbled down some numbers on notepaper from her purse and handed it over. "Here's my number, Principal O'Hare's number, and the number for CPS. If you see anything else regarding Sydney, any or all of these numbers,"

He took the paper rather gingerly (he was so gentle, though he didn't look it), and he tucked it away. "I've been trying everything, believe me," he told her in a hushed tone, his ears flattening against his head. "Chuck's a jerk. The only reason I hang around him is to keep Sydney safe,"

"You're a good man," Nora remarked softly.

Sebastian smiled at her, and he picked up a can of the motor fuel. "You wanna buy a can? I made these myself," before she could respond, he reached under the table and grabbed another can of something else. "I also have bacon soup if you're interested. Don't get them confused,"

Farther away, Spectra and the children had coincidentally met up with Duncan, who was there with Toshio and Emily. They, f course, played with the other children, but it was quite wonderful to see that they'd seemed to accept Sydney into their little circle. Now, Spectra and Duncan were both watching as the children visited with some rabbits in a small petting zoo area.

"This one reminds me of my bunny!" exclaimed Lillian as a brown lop-eared rabbit hopped over to sniff her bunny slippers (she refused to take them off).

Spectra watched, she glanced over at Duncan, who had paused to look at his phone. "Duncan," Spectra spoke up after a moment. "How ae you feeling?"

Duncan looked up, and he fiddled with his phone case a bit awkwardly. "Um...better. I've been going to therapy sessions,"

"Good," Spectra smiled, and then she turned back to the children. Her smile faded a bit when she noticed that Lillian was ignoring the rabbits and was now standing perfectly still. "Lillian?"

When Lillian didn't answer, Spectra stood up quickly and went to see what the matter was. "Honey what's wrong?" she shook her shoulder gently. "Sweetie, answer me,"

Lillian broke out of her trance, and she turned to look at Spectra with a worried expression. "Mama, Tim and Tom are in trouble!"

"What?" Spectra raised an eyebrow, confused. "How do you know?"

"I-I did what you said," explained Lillian, wringing her hands anxiously. "And I felt...something crash. The van crashed! Oh, Mama, there was an accident!"

Spectra took this in quietly, and then she pulled out her phone and began walking a distance away. "Wait here, Lillian. I'm gonna call the SCP,"

Tim lifted his head up from the glass window.

"What happened?" he asked as Tom placed a hand on his shoulder.

Tom helped him up the best he could, saying, "We crashed, Tim the van is on its side,"

Indeed, this was true. The twins took in their surroundings for a few moments, and then Tim walked briskly over to the driver's seat. "Mr. Darwich?"

There was a long pause, and then Tim called Tom over. "Tom, he's dead,"

Tom peeked over his brother's shoulder. Darwich's neck was bent at an angle that seemed humanly impossible, and he's broken his nose on the steering wheel. There was no way of helping him, now.

"We should get someone," Tom concluded after a few seconds.

"Yeah," Tim agreed.

They climbed out of the van and into the road.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33  
Tag, You're it

 **Author's note: there was recently a glitch on this website that prevented any story alerts from being sent to people who were following this story, so if you did not read chapter 32 due to the glitch, I suggest you read that chapter before this one. Thank you for your time, and I apologize for the inconvenience!**

* * *

Milo sometimes wondered how much Shaye could think.

She appeared to not be aware of anything that was going on around her, but sometimes she would respond to her environment. When he asked her if she wanted to eat, she would always respond in some way, but she would never give him a straight answer if she was asked what she would like to eat. This was the tricky part because if she didn't like whatever she was given, she simply would refuse to eat anything. However, Milo had discovered that she would always eat apple sauce if he gave it to her, so applesauce was always a safe bet. Despite this, Milo still wished that Eric, Shaye's former caretaker, had given him some sort of instructions before passing away.

As Shaye watched the TV on the wall and ate her apple sauce, Milo stood a few feet away and unscrewed a jar of cockroaches behind the front desk. He poured the bugs into a slice of bread, which he folded up and proceeded to take a bite out of as Kayako walked in with a medical file clutched in her hand. When she wrinkled her nose at what Milo was eating, Milo just responded politely, "

When she wrinkled her nose at what Milo was eating, Milo just responded politely, "You people eat raw fish with seaweed. You hold no right to judge the delicacies of my species,"

"Not that," answered Kayako plainly. "Bread is stale- expired a week ago,"

Milo stopped, and he turned around and spit the sandwich into a nearby trashcan. "Thank you for telling me!"

Just then, the bell rang as the door opened, and Milo looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize that there was another appointment..." he trailed off, his brow furrowing. "Can...can I help you?"

It was Lord Stoker, and he was alone. He leaned on a cane with his right hand as he looked at Milo with a concerned expression.

"Where's my therapist?" he asked, sounding exasperated.

Milo cocked his head to the side. "You mean Mrs. Burton- the therapist who works right next door to me?"

"Yes. She called and told me to come her today because her truck wasn't working and she couldn't drive to see me, but when I got here, the truck wasn't even there and the door is locked. I'm not late- this is the right time,"

It was at this moment that Shaye suddenly turned away from the TV and to the window. "Wendigo," she whispered, barely audible.

Kayako heard Shaye say something, and she went to investigate. "Shaye?"

Shaye seemed to be staring at a young man standing outside the window. He had thick, dark hair, and he was wearing a long T-shirt while smoking a cigarette, and he stared into the window with empty, dead eyes. At the mere sight of him, Shaye began to get antsy. "Wendigo! Wendigo! Eric, help!"

As Milo tried to sort things out with Stoker, the form of a woman could be seen through the screen door. The man outside the window looked towards the door, and he simply nodded and put the cigarette out.

The door opened, and Milo stopped the conversation abruptly. "Oh, Mrs. Burton, you're here! Stoker's been waiting for you,"

Mrs. Burton just nodded slowly, and without saying a word, she unzipped her bag. The door opened once again, and then the young man from earlier entered, crossing his arms and looking at the others with an unreadable expression.

"Is...is everything all right?" Milo wanted to know, worried.

Everything changed when Mrs. Burton pulled out a can of pepper spray. "I just need to subdue you long enough to get you to Mistress Zelda's," Before anyone else could say anything, Burton whirled over and sprayed Stoker right in the eyes with the stuff.

"What the hell!?" barked Milo, and he leaped over the desk to stop her. Just then, the man pulled a syringe out of his pocket and stuck it in Milo's neck, causing Milo to collapse on the floor and shake violently.

"Billie, pass me one!" Burton ordered, and Billie obliged. Once Stoker had been subdued the same way, Kayako suddenly jumped on Burton from behind, closing her hands around her neck and choking her.

As Kayako pushed Burton to the ground and continued to strangle her, Billie stood there helplessly and tried to figure out what to do. Finally, Burton looked up at him and mouthed the words, _'Ghost spray'_ , and Billie realized what he needed to do. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small can, and then he knocked Kayako to the ground and sprayed her right in the eyes.

Kayako writhed around, unable to see, screaming and wailing swears in Japanese. Burton took a long, raspy breath and reached into her bag, pulled out a vial filled with purple liquid. She unplugged the cork and poured the liquid right into Kayako's open mouth, and though Kayako tried to spit it out, her attempts were futile. Soon, the drug took its effect and she fell asleep.

Burton stood up, catching her breath, and Billie pointed to Shaye. "What about her?"

There was a pause, and Burton asked, "You hungry?"

"No," answered Billie, making a face. "She's too ugly to eat, and she's got a lot of prosthetics. It'd be like eating a barbie doll,"

Suddenly, Shaye pushed at her wheels and tried to escape, but Burton grabbed her. "Oh, no you don't! we have to do something with her, Billie. She might tell someone we were here,"

"Are you kidding?" Billie scoffed. "She's a bit off her rocker, I don't think anyone will listen to her," there was a pause, and Billie sighed. "If it bothers you that much, just toss her in the parking lot without her wheelchair. She won't get very far, and I'm betting she doesn't have a phone on her. You go toss her, I'll get these ones in the van,"

"Good idea," agreed Burton, grabbing Shaye's wheelchair. "Come on, Freakshow!"

She wheeled the broken woman towards the parking lot and ungracefully dumped her on the pavement. "And don't even think about following us!" warned Burton before she closed the door. "You probably can't, but if you do we'll kill you!"

The door slammed shut, and Shaye slowly struggled to stand on her plastic legs.

"Gotta go," she murmured, turning away and limping towards a rusty old car that was concealed by a few trees. "Gotta...gotta get Eric's car. Yeah, gotta get help. Stop the witch- the witch, and the wendigo,"

Farther away, Tim and Tom had emerged from the wreckage of the SCP van, which they'd discovered had rolled in a ditch.

"We have to find a way to call someone about this," admitted Tim. "I have no idea where we are. If we could just call Bloodgood..."

Tom looked out into the road, and he tugged on his brother's sleeve. "Tim, look. Over there,"

In the center of the quiet road, in a tiny denim jacket and a pair of little black boots, lay a small child. Both twins exchanged glances, and then went quickly to the child's aid.

"Hey," Tim began as he knelt down to the child's height. "Are you alright?"

The child, a boy who was no older than two, slowly lifted his head up. Surprisingly, he was unhurt, but he soon began to cry as if he were in great pain. Taking pity on him, Tom tried to scoop him up, but he couldn't. Tim took the boy instead.

"I wonder where he lives," Tim murmured, examining the child. The little boy had stopped crying, and oddly enough, he didn't seem frightened at all by the twins. Something about this child was just so strange that Tom just had to tap into his mind.

However, something strange happened. "Tim, I can't read his mind,"

"What?"

"Something's stopping me," Tom explained, confused. "It's like...it's like nobody's supposed to read it,"

Tim thought about it. "Well, maybe it's because he's little. Maybe you can't read little kids' minds,"

"No, no," Tom shook his head. "I read the mind of the baby inside Bloodgood, I should be able to read his,"

There was a pause, and then Tim realized what his brother had said. "Wait, what!?"

Just then, they heard a voice from several feet away. " _MAXIE!_ " From the hills farther away, an old woman in a black skirt and a green blouse came running towards them. "Oh, Maxie!" She reached them finally, panting and out of breath, and she took the little boy from the twins and pressed him close. "There you are! Oh, your mommy and daddy are so worried about you!" the woman looked up at the twins through cloudy, yellowish glasses. "Where was he!?"

"Right in the road," answered Tim. "See, our van crashed, and our driver got killed. He was from the SCP, and we were supposed to have a therapy session,"

The woman went silent, and she turned around and crossed over into the road to look. She stared at the van fo a few seconds before turning back to the twins. "Why don't you come inside with me, boys?" she inquired. "I can call the SCP for you- I know their number,"

"Really?" asked Tim. "That would be nice,"

The woman just smiled at them, and she beckoned them. "My house is right nearby, and I can even give you boys a reward for saving my little grandson. Come!"

As they walked towards the little country farmhouse, Tom felt a grat sense of distrust with her, and he decided to tap into her mind. Yet, just like before, he couldn't get in. There was nothing he knew how to do that could get around it.

"What's your name, by the way?" Tim wanted to know.

She smiled sweetly. "Why, you can call me Zelda!"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34:

A Doll's House

Back at the fair, Bloodgood was on the phone with Aaleyah to sort out the situation.

"So Lillian believes that something happened to the van?" Aaleyah inquired, making sure she had it right.

"Lillian doesn't 'believe' it," Bloodgood stated firmly. "She _knows_ it. They're her brothers, Aaleyah. Can you just locate the van?"

Aaleyah cleared her throat. "Hang on, let me track it. All the vans have a tracking device," Aaleyah paused, and there were the clicking of computer keys, and then her voice came back. "Nothing's coming up. It looks like the tracking device was intentionally damaged somehow,"

Bloodgood sighed, adjusting her position on the park bench to get more comfortable. Her baby was restless, but she tried to ignore that. "Well, can you track the driver, at least?"

"Which driver did you have?"

"His name was Darwich," answered Bloodgood.

There was more clicking, and then Aaleyah responded, "Ah, yes! He's right here on the registry. I'll see if I can track his phone,"

Suddenly, there were the sounds of yells and screams from the fairground, different from the happy ones that the children gave out during their play. Bloodgood looked up, only to see a rusty old car come barreling through the grass and finally rolling to a stop right beside Bloodgood's bench. The car's door swung open and out tumbled Shaye.

"Shaye!" exclaimed Duncan, rushing to her aid. "Shaye, what are you doing here!?"

Shaye was a shaking, blubbering mess, and she rocked back and forth uncontrollably. "There was...a wendigo! A witch and a wendigo! They got the bug, the bat, the pale-face! Ghost spray! Spiritus Sanctus! _AAAAYYYY!_ " she fell to the ground and began spasming. "Hello again! Hello again! Hello again!"

Caleb heard this, and he turned to the other children. "Guys, we have to do something!"

"Like what?" Emily huffed, crossing her arms. "We don't even know where to start,"

Toshio, however, was incredibly anxious. "Something's not right. Sometimes I can hear my mother talking in my head, but I can't hear her this time! Where could she be?!"

Lillian just sat there pensively, staring at her slippers. After a few seconds, she looked up, a wild look in her dark eyes. "Wait!" She turned to Spectra and tugged on her blouse. "Mama, I know where Tim and Tom are! They're with Toshio's mama!"

Spectra was surprised to hear this. "How do you know!?"

"I-I don't really know," admitted Lillian. "But, I just feel it! we need to help them!"

"Hang on, now," Bloodgood stepped in, still holding the phone. "Aaleyah just told me that the driver is way out in the countryside, alone. She's not sure why, but they're sending a van out there to retrieve them. We don't need to do anything at the moment- the SCP will handle it,"

It was at this moment that Spectra realized that Lillian was gone. "Lillian!?" she looked around. "Where'd- oh, no!"

Lillian and Caleb were trying to start Shaye's rusty car. "We gotta go!"

"No!" Spectra zoomed over to the two, seizing them. "Kids, stop! You can't drive!"

Caleb simply shrugged. "So?"

"What if..." it was Toshio, and Spectra turned to look at him. "What if it was...the Green Widow?"

There was a pause, and Spectra asked, "How did you know the Green Widow, Toshio?"

"She's the reason my father killed Mama and me," explained Toshio, his voice softening. "And Mar, too," The black cat popped out of Toshio's coat and jumped to the grass, meowing.

"Well, let's not jump to conclusions," advised Bloodgood with a sigh. "But, not to worry- we will look for them ourselves as well,"

Spectra was surprised to hear this. "You really mean it?"

"Of course," Bloodgood beckoned her. "Come along. We'll get the children together,"

Elsewhere, Zelda ushered both Tim and Tom into her house along with the child.

"Make yourself at home, boys," Zelda began as she closed the door behind her. "Sorry about the mess," she apologized, gesturing to a clutter of coats on the floor. "The children don't really pick up after themselves,"

"How many kids live here?" inquired Tim, looking around. There were little toys scattered everywhere, including a rattle that seemed to be very, very old.

Zelda just sighed, setting Max down on the floor. "About four, including Max. There my daughter's children. Ophelia!"

A much younger woman in a tight blue romper and blonde curls came rushing to the door, and she gasped loudly when she saw Max. "Oh, my poor baby! What happened to you!?" she gathered the child in her arms, kissing him. "Mom, where was he!?"

"Out n the middle of the road," explained Zelda. "There was some kind of accident on the road out front. An SCP van crashed, you see? These two boys were n the way to the center for a session,"

Ophelia looked at the boys, and she gave them what was probably the fakest smile anyone could give. "Oh, really? Well, you're safe now. Are you hungry?"

Before either of them could answer, Zelda turned away and walked towards the stairs. "I'm going upstairs to call the SCP, Ophelia. Would you keep the boys with you?"

"Of course," Ophelia smiled once again. "The kids are eating lunch. Care to join us?"

The twins exchanged glances, and then Tim nodded slowly. "Sure,"

As Ophelia led both boys to the kitchen, Tom scribbled a note down on his notepad and handed it to Tim.

 _"I don't trust them."_

Tim just nodded, making sure that Tom knew there was a mutual distrust for these women. The twins planned to catch their hosts in a trap, and then attack. They could take them, right?

In the kitchen, three children sat at a table with tiny sandwiches, while a morose-looking man in a red jacket sat with them. When Ophelia entered, he sighed at her.

"Did Zelda find Max again?"

"Yeah. He's okay, Phil,"

It was at this moment that Tom noticed how familiar this man looked. His red jacket was ripped at the edges, his black hair was messy, and there was a scar stretching across his forehead. When he noticed the twins, he wrinkled his nose. "What are they here for?"

"They were in an accident," explained Ophelia. "Zelda's taking care of it,"

Phil stood up and walked away, saying, "She'd better. Can't stand those rogue souls,"

When he was gone, Ophelia turned to the stove. "Sorry about him. Anyway, I have some..." she trailed off, staring out the window. Without saying anything, she turned away and walked briskly out the side door.

"What was that about?" asked Tim. The children at the table didn't answer, so the twins were left alone.

"Let's try and find Zelda," suggested Tom. Tim agreed, and both boys headed upstairs.

* * *

 **Hello, everyone! Sorry if this was uneventful, but there's a cramp in my hand. Next chapter will be better!**

 **Some updates- this story is, indeed, coming to a close...sometime next month. I'm not sure when actually.**

 **I should also add that I've begun another story that is NOT within my series. It's an Ever After High and Monster High crossover, and I just uploaded the first chapter! If you like this story, I suggest that you go check out my new one as well! It's called 'Clash Of The Worlds', and I really hope you like it. Don't worry, I'll still be updating this story, but don't be surprised if I take a brief hiatus.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35:

The Attic

The twins examined the upstairs area without anyone seeing, yet Zelda was nowhere to be found.

"Why wouldn't she be here?" Tim wondered aloud as he made his fifth round through the upstairs rooms. "Is there just another room that we can't see?"

Tom peeked his head into Zelda's bedroom, and he beckoned Tim. "Here, let's look more closely through her bedroom. There might be clues somewhere,"

They dug through the room, looking in the drawers and the closet this time. In the drawer beside the bed, Tim discovered an alarming collection of wedding rings. "Wow," Tim remarked, tilting his head as he stared at them. "How many times has she been married?"

Tom rooted through the dresses in the closet (the extravagant, dark colored dresses that looked as though they belonged in a medieval costume shop), and he noticed something rather peculiar.

"Tim," he called out, getting his brother's attention. "There's a door back here,"

Tim looked up, and he shut the drawer. "Where?"

"In the closet. Come look,"

Sure enough, there was a smaller door within the closet. Tim experimentally twisted the handle, finding that it was unlocked, and the twins entered.

It led to a long, narrow staircase that climbed upwards. As both boys made their way up the stairs, they overheard some voices.

"There isn't a lot left," it was a man's voice. "Are you sure you have what you need?"

"Trust me," it was Zelda this time, and she was clicking something around. "After the show, I will be putting my efforts into obtaining more of this,"

Tim and Tom arrived upstairs, and they ducked behind on old trunk full of clothes. Zelda was seated in front of a vanity, brushing her silvery hair as she stirred a small vial with a tiny wand. A man dressed in a neat shirt and pants stood beside her, wringing his hands.

"Zelda?" he asked after a moment, and she responded with a soft hum. "It's just...me and the other wendigo haven't had any-"

Zelda rolled her eyes and huffed at him. "You stop right there, Magnum. I've been telling you over and over that I will get those cutlets of yours! Human flesh isn't exactly easy to obtain, you know,"

Magnum just nodded. "I know, I know. But, you know Lyle and Billie- they'll go crazy if you keep denying them their meat. The younger ones lose their minds the easiest,"

"Just eat the pork chops for now," Zelda looked into the vial, and she popped the buttons on her top open. "You'll be fine. Besides, Billie is better than any attack dog when he's starving, so feed him as little as possible,"

"That's very dangerous advice,"

"Yeah?" Zelda leaned back in the chair and tilted the vial upwards. "Well, the _real_ Billie is too weak. We need to keep toughening him up," she threw her head back and drank down the contents of the vial, and then she stood up slowly.

Her entire body contorted violently, and the color of her hair seemed to fade from gray to gold. The skin of her hands tightened up, and she brought them up to smooth hr hair out. "That's better," she sighed, and then the twins saw her face.

Everything came together instantly. The dresses, the multiple wedding rings, and now this- she was the Green Widow, the cause of the Weavers' death.

Perhaps the twins should have planned their next actions more carefully. They could've left then and attempted to call the SCP themselves, but that didn't happen. Instead, their feral instincts kicked in and they became what they were: the feared ghosts of Mount Todd.

Zelda picked up her brush again, but she dropped it instantly at a loud, shrieking noise right behind her. She whirled around, only to be face to face with Tom.

Tom yelled out once more and pinned Zelda to the vanity by her throat, pressing down hard. At the same time, Tim leaped down from the ceiling and tackled Magnum, twisting his arms behind his back.

Magnum yelled in alarm, and he tried to squirm out of Tim's grip. When he was unable to do so, his body suddenly began to change. Tim was tossed off suddenly, and when he regained his footing, he saw that Magnum had transformed into some hideous beast. Magnum's arms were long and spindly, his claws were huge, and his teeth were razor sharp. He roared in Tim's masked face, but Tim just laughed at him.

"What are you gonna do? Eat me?" Tim picked up a broom that had been lying against the wall and gripped it tightly. "I'm already dead. Come at me!"

The wendigo pounced at Tim, but Tim was too fast. He dodged the attack quickly, and he clocked Magnum over the head with the broom.

When Zelda realized that they were losing, she looked up at the shelf above her and tried to reach for a jar of Spiritus Sanctus, the only known potion that can knock out the undead. However, Tom seized her wrist and pulled her up, his brown eyes glaring into her green ones.

"Look at me," he seethed, his voice menacingly low. "You did this to me,"

As he began to choke her harder, Zelda thought fast. She kicked the wall behind her several times before the shelf came crashing down. The jar of Spiritus Sanctus hit the floor and shattered, and a purple haze filled the room. Then, everything went black.

Outside, the SCP van had already pulled up, and so had Bloodgood and Duncan's cars. As Bloodgood stepped out of her van, she noticed a certain passenger that she didn't remember inviting.

"Sydney, what are you doing here!?" Bloodgood exclaimed, horrified. "It's too dangerous!"

Sydney just shrugged. "I wanted to help. Tim and Tom got taken 'cause of me, and I want to save them,"

Bloodgood shook her head. "I appreciate it, but no. I'm going to have to-"

"No!" Sydney yelled before she'd even finished, grabbing her sleeve and looking up at her pleadingly. "Please, Ms. Bloodgood! Don't tell my dad! Please, don't!"

Nora felt sadness well up in her chest. What could she do, send him back to Chuck? Chuck would surely kill him, or severely injure him at the very least. So much was happening: two of the children were missing, there was an abused child that she suddenly had to look after, and on top of all that, the baby had shifted into a very odd position that felt very uncomfortable to its mother. With all these things pressing down on her, she just sighed and waved her hand.

"Fine, but you need to protect yourself," she reached into her boot and pulled out her knife, handing it over. "Never run with the blade pointed up, and always be cautious of your surroundings,"

Sydney looked at the blade, and then up at her. "What about you?"

Bloodgood sighed. "I'll be fine, don't you worry. Stay close to the group, now,"

Dr. Calvin met up with Bloodgood, and they formed a plan: Duncan would walk around the property with the kids, while Calvin and Bloodgood would try to find a way into the basement (that's where Toshio said his mother was). Once the captives were found, Dr. Calvin would notify the other SCP members.

"What if we don't ever find them?" Caleb asked Duncan as they headed out into the fields behind Zelda's house.

"We will," Duncan assured. "Don't worry, we'll be fine,"


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36:

Samara

Tom found himself standing in a dim hallway, alone and shaken.

He looked around for some sort of explanation. _Where am I?_

Glancing down at himself, he made a rather startling discovery: his limbs were completely intact. No more twisted or showing bones, and he took a few experimental steps: he could walk normally. He touched his face, too- it was no longer concealed by a mask.

His mind was a mess, but he tried to forget that as he took in his surroundings. Ahead of him was a door that was slightly ajar, and the light was peering out from the crack. The sound of running water could be heard on the other side.

Tom pushed the door open, walking in carefully. It was a bathroom and a very nice one, but there was a black dress lying in a heap in front of the shower, surrounded by blood, ash, and dirt. Somebody was taking a shower behind the curtain, though Tom did not attempt to see who it was.

He turned to the sink and started a bit- it looked even worse than the floor. The sink was filled with blood, and there was water soaking the clothes hamper beside it. Though part of him did not want to, he took a few steps towards the sink to get a better look.

Despite all the gruesome things Tom had ever seen, done and heard, this was somehow worse than all of that. Perhaps it was the fact that it was an alarming about of blood, or maybe the fact that a small metal that looked like one Caleb had owned could be seen even through the thick blood. Tom turned to the hamper and opened it reluctantly, and he drew back in fear at what he saw: a hooded set of rabbit pajamas, a pair of overalls, and a schoolboy's uniform- it was all covered in blood.

He slammed the clothes hamper shut quickly, whirling around as the shower stopped. There was some rustling, and then, the curtain opened.

Zelda stepped out, looking just the way she looked during the night of the fire. She didn't seem to see Tom, but she just looked at the bloodied sink and smiled knowingly.

It was all too much, and Tom collapsed on the ground in pure agony.

He heard himself sobbing as he awoke, and an unfamiliar hand began petting his head.

"Shh," the voice soothed gently. It was a young girl. "Everything's fine,"

Tom lifted his head up a bit, and he sighed sadly when he noticed the state of his limbs: twisted, mangled, and broken. He'd been dreaming.

Just then, the girl comforting him began singing softly, getting his attention.

 _"Round we go,_

 _the world is spinning._

 _When it stops,_

 _it's just beginning._

 _Sun comes up,_

 _we live and we cry._

 _Sun goes down,_

 _and then,_

 _we all die,"_

Tom sat up to look at the girl, only to draw back slightly in response. She had the height and stature of a young girl, and yet the gnarled hands of an old woman. Her face was concealed behind a long, black veil of her own hair, and she wore a lacy white nightgown.

"Are you all right?" she asked sweetly, tilting her head to the side. "I could sense your bad dream,"

"Where's Tim?" Tom looked around anxiously. "My brother, Tim. Did you take him?"

The girl shook her head. "I didn't take him. He woke up a while ago. He's having tea with my sisters," she outstretched her bony hand. "My name is Samara,"

 _Samara._ Tom had heard Emily talk about another rogue soul Milo Wing had once cared for who went by that name, the one who ran away after killing her caretaker. Could this be her?

Samara helped Tom out of the bale of hay he'd been sleeping on, and she began to explain. "The Wendigo brought both of you here about half an hour ago. Your brother wasn't asleep for very long. I don't sleep- I drink tea to keep my energy up,"

Tom took the moment to take in his surroundings: he was in a barn loft, with bales of hay and blankets surrounding the area. There was a small door up ahead.

"Right here," Samara said softly, taking Tom through the door.

It was a separate room, with a small kitchen, a table, and an old TV with a chair in front of it. At the table sat Tim and four other female rogue souls, all holding teacups.

"Tom!" Tim stood up quickly, going to his brother. "You're awake!"

Tom looked around the room nervously. "Where are we?"

"In Zelda's barn," answered one of the rogue souls. She was an Asian woman with white skin and a glossy kimono wrapped around her shoulders. "This is where she keeps 'the freaks',"

As Tom looked to his brother for an answer, Tim just sighed. "Uh, yeah...see, while you were asleep, Naoko," he gestured to the Asian woman, "told me that Zelda likes to have her grandchildren run SCP trucks off the road so she can steal what they've captured and put it on display. There's a bunch of other monsters right below us in the barn,"

"That's where she got two of her Wendigo," another rogue soul spoke up. This time, it was a young girl who was just skin and bones with matted hair atop her head. She reminded the twins of Caleb, but her eyes were still intact. "They're named are Lyle and Amber. The SCP was gonna euthanize them because they're crazy, but Zelda killed the man guarding them and stole them. They're her guards, now,"

"Not only that," the girl next to her went on. She was extremely thin and only wearing underwear, and there was dried blood covering her nails. "Those grandchildren of hers? They're not her daughter's kids. They're ours,"

Tim was surprised to hear this. "What? You didn't tell me this,"

Another woman, in a white dress and black hair covering her face (much like Samara), began to sob uncontrollably, and Samara patted her shoulder. "Please don't cry, Sadako. We will be fine,"

There was a pause, and the woman in the kimono stood up. "All right, all right. It's about time we all introduced ourselves. My name is Naoko," she pointed at the woman Samara was comforting. "That's Sadako, and that's Megan," she gestured to the skeleton girl, and then to the girl in the underwear. "That's Amy. Zelda routinely uses us in her shows, which are for humans who are too scared to venture into New Salem, where the monsters are. The only time those people could ever stand to be near someone like us is if we were behind bars,"

"Can't you just escape?" Tim asked, angered. "I bet you could beat those Wendigo things!"

Naoko just sighed. "You see, Tim, even if we tried to, what could be out there for us? I killed my boyfriend after he killed me, my mother is dead, and my sister and nephew are just unthinking monsters, now. There's nothing for me but this,"

"My family stopped looking for me," Megan said softly, picking at the table with her nails. "Zelda made me watch my own funeral,"

Samara parted some of the hair from her face, revealing an icy blue eye. "I think Milo's mad at me,"

"He's not!" Tim blurted out suddenly, slamming his teacup down. "Samara, Milo misses you! He feels bad about what happened to you, and he wants you back!" He looked at the other rogue souls, and he stood up. "Why are you just letting everyone walk all over you!? Why did you give up so easily!? You're rogue souls! Stand up and fight!"

"I don't like hurting people," Amy admitted. "Even Zelda,"

Sadako lifted her head up and looked at Tim. "Zelda summoned me so I can kill," her English was not very good. "I said, 'no', and she took me to the basement. I try to fight her, but no use. She makes Wendigo boys perform sex on me, and she took my babies. She always takes my babies,"

Just then, the door in the back opened. "You guys need to get ready," a gruff voice said. It was Billie, and he was standing there with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

The twins exchanged glances. "Uh, for what?" inquired Tim.

Beside them, Megan just whispered, "Showtime,"

* * *

 **Ayyy, sorry to leave on another cliffhanger! I just wanted to finish this up. We're getting pretty close to the end! Hard to believe I've been working on this since October...**

 **Okay, so, some updates: I only have a few weeks left of school, and after that, I will be on Summer break! I am graduating on June 23rd, and I will be attending a two-year school in the fall. I've filled out my college schedule for the upcoming year, and I will be commuting from home rather than staying in a dorm. So, you'll be seeing a lot more of me (hopefully).**

 **Also, if you haven't already, please check out the other story I've started called 'Clash of The Worlds'! It's a story I've waited two years to write (the foreword at the beginning explains everything) and it would mean so much to me if you gave it a look. As I've said before, I'll still be working on this story, so no need to worry about that.**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37:  
Basement

It was nearly noon.

Bloodgood and Dr. Calvin had been scouring the area for quite some time, hoping not to be seen, but they soon happened upon something noteworthy.

"Here, here!" exclaimed Bloodgood, dropping down to look at something in the grass. "A small door!"

Calvin knelt beside her to examine the discovery. "A basement door, it would seem," he observed. "I wonder if it's locked,"

He gave it a few strong tugs before it swung open, revealing a set of stairs.

"After you," he told Bloodgood, gesturing to the stairs.

They headed down the stairs to a dimly lit basement, and they took in the surroundings. There were a series of tunnels carved into the walls (which Dr. Calvin took note of, as he thought of exploring them later), a shelf filled with brightly colored glass bottles, an old dentist chair covered in dirty rags, and a heavy, locked door towards the back with a hot water heater beside it.

Nora bent down to examine the dentist chair, and a thick book lying beneath it caught her attention. "What's this?" she murmured, picking it up. It read, _"The Reproduction Methods of The Undead- A Guide"._

All of the sudden, she heard Calvin yell, "Bloodgood! They're in here!"

Sure enough, as Calvin successfully picked the lock on the heavy door, Kayako came sprawling out. "Oh!" she gasped, struggling to her feet. "Someone did come! Did Toshio tell you!?"

"He sensed where you were," explained Bloodgood, taking her arm. "Now, where are the others?"

Kayako pointed to another door in the corner that Calvin and Bloodgood had not noticed before. "In there," explained Kayako. "But, don't let him out, yet! The Green Widow did something to him. He's not the same!"

Bloodgood peeked into the cell where Kayako was, seeing that Stoker was there as well, stumbling to his feet with the cane in his hand. She decided to ignore him and talk to Kayako instead. "Kayako, what's wrong with Milo?"

The question was answered by a loud hiss that sounded from the other side of the second door, and a shiny bottle lying nearby caught Dr. Calvin's attention. "Acremonium," he muttered aloud. "It turns tame monsters feral. We can't let him out just yet- he'll tear us apart. A giant feral mantis is very dangerous," he began looking around. "There has to be an antidote somewhere,"

Another sound was heard, only this time, it was from within the walls. It was a banging sound, accompanied by scratching, and it was getting closer.

"They're coming!" gasped Stoker, full of fear.

Kayako began making a rattling sound from the back of her throat. "We will fight them this time! I can beat them,"

Suddenly, out of one of the tunnels in the wall, two people came tumbling. It was a young woman with reddish blond hair and a darker-skinned man with curly hair and wide, crazy eyes. They both wore studded collars around their necks, and both of them seemed mentally unwell somehow.

"Infidels!" cried the curly haired man, revealing a set of jagged teeth. "Shut them back up!"

The woman pushed him out of the way. "Can it, Crazy Eyes. Listen up, you freaks! You gotta get back in those cells, or Miss Zelda's gonna lose it. And if she loses it, _I_ lose it! I'm scary when I lose it!"

Dr. Calvin stepped forward, flashing his badge. "I'm with the SCP, Ma'am. I have evidence that you are illegally keeping supernatural creatures in this residence?"

Her face fell, and she went silent. After a few seconds, she raised a hand and slapped Calvin. "The SCP, huh!? You're gonna pay for trying to end my brother and me!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Calvin put his hands up. "We aren't going to hurt you. Just let us go, and everything will be fine,"

"No, it won't!" the woman clapped right back. "We can't let you go! Zelda's gonna rip us to shreds if we do!"

Bloodgood attempted to reason. "Well, maybe if you help us, we can get you away from Zelda. Would you two like that?"

Just then, the upstair door slammed loudly, and footsteps came rushing down the stairs. "Lyle! Amber!" it was Zelda. "Who is that!? What's going on down here!?"

She arrived at the bottom and stopped when she saw her 'guests'. "Oh, I get it!" Zelda's voice shook with rage. "You think you can breach my security and take what's rightfully mine!? Well, you can't! Lyle, tie 'em up!"

When Lyle hesitated, Zelda snapped her fingers, and the collar around Lyle's neck vibrated audibly. Lyle yelled, shook his head, and reached for some potions. Kayako, however, had other ideas, and she leaped to attack him. Her hands clamped around his neck, and he tried to vain to toss her off.

As the two tussled on the ground, Bloodgood tried to make a run for the door, but Zelda grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her back. "Don't think I can't sense that baby of yours, dear one," Zelda muttered, grabbing a syringe filled with a pink liquid. "I also know that she's a half-vampire! The Wendigo hybrids are defective, _this_ could be just what I need!" she jammed the syringe into Nora's side, causing her to cry out in pain.

When Nora crumpled to the ground in sheer agony, her first thought was to stab Zelda with the knife in her boot, but then she remembered that she'd given the knife to Sydney. Her surroundings seemed to swirl around her as she curled in on herself- what had Zelda done to her!?

The sound of a lock snapping open brought Nora back to reality, and everyone suddenly halted everything. Stoke was standing by the other door, which was now open. He stepped away from it cautiously as a thin, pale green leg made itself visible.

"No," breathed Zelda, her eyes widening. "What have you done?"

None of them had ever realized how tall Milo actually was up until this point. Perhaps the ceiling of the basement was just rather low, but Milo's head seemed to brush against the ceiling. His eyes had gone black, like an actual praying mantis, and his shirt was torn down the front. His movements were fluid but menacing.

"Nobody move," whispered Dr. Calvin, backing up flat against the wall. "Stay very, _very_ still,"

Milo looked around sharply, making a clicking noise with his mouth. It was so odd to see him like this- an actual insect. His feet tapped on the concrete floor, and he bent to sniff something.

Lyle chose this moment to untangle himself from Kayako, thinking Milo would not see him. He was so wrong.

Milo snapped his head up suddenly, hissing and bearing his teeth. Lyle tried to run, but the mantis sprang up and chased him. The others just watched in shock as Milo snatched Lyle up and began to gnaw on his neck, causing blood to spurt out. This, however, didn't seem to phase Lyle, and he unsheathed his claws and teeth to fight back.

When this happened, Bloodgood and Calvin raced to the door to escape, though Bloodgood was in considerable pain. Zelda noticed them escaping, and she whirled around to where Lyle was wrestling Milo. "Forget the bug!" hissed Zelda, pointing at the two escapees. "Get _them!_ "

Lyle wriggled away from Milo, blood still gushing from his neck, and he dashed through the tunnel where Bloodgood and Calvin had disappeared. Amber followed after him, in her Wendigo form as well, and Zelda turned back to the prisoners who were still left, only to find that they had escaped too.

"What!?" gasped Zelda, looking around frantically. "No, no, no!"

She heard a hissing sound behind her, and she turned around. It was Milo, blood dripping down to his chest, and he sprang at Zelda with a roar.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38:

Freakshow

Bloodgood soon found herself collapsing onto the carpeted floor of a strange, small room that smelled of cheap perfume and whiskey. Calvin stood up and whirled around to the tunnel he and Bloodgood had just jumped out of, and he pushed a heavy trunk filled with clothes up against the wall, blocking the tunnel's entrance.

"There must have been a fork in the tunnels," Calvin explained breathlessly. "I think we lost them,"

The pain in Nora's abdomen worsened, but she tried to ignore it. She examined the room, noticing that it was a small bedroom with a bathroom built into it. Nobody was there. "This must be a guest room of some kind," she mumbled, peeking in the bathroom.

Another pang of discomfort spread across Nora's side, and she doubled over. Calvin noticed, and he ran to her. "Nora! What's wrong!? I saw she injected you with something back there. What was it?"

Nora took a labored breath. "I-I have no idea. I'm just hoping to God it wasn't poison,"

Calvin tucked his finger beneath her chin to look in her eyes, and he checked into her mouth as well. "No, not poison. There's no discoloration," he turned to the bathtub and gestured to it. "Get in the tub. There's no one here- it'll do you some good,"

She attempted to argue with him, but the idea of a warm bath was an enticing one, and she eventually gave in. Nora checked the bathroom once more to see if there were indeed no tunnels, and she closed the door behind her.

The bath started up, and the water was warm. Nora usually loved the sound of a bath filling, but all she could think about was her pain and the fact that Tim and Tom were trapped somewhere. They could probably save themselves, of course- they'd always done it. They weren't helpless kids, but the concern was still there.

Dr. Calvin was talking to somebody on the other side of the door, probably through his phone. Nora hoped the Wendigo weren't strong enough to push the trunk out of the way. If they did break in, maybe she and Calvin could convince them to turn against Zelda. Lyle did have a nasty wound on his neck...

Nora didn't feel good about removing her bra, so she kept it on even as she stepped into the bath. The warm water helped ease some of the muscle strain, but the pain didn't completely vanish. She groaned and wiggled around a bit, trying to will it away.

"We're in what seems to be a guest room," Calvin was saying on the other side of the door. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Nora Bloodgood is with me, but she's taking a quick bath,"

 _Quick?_ Trying to ease her pain was going to take awhile, that much she knew. Oh, that Zelda was going to be in such trouble when the SCP found her! That is if she was even alive by the time they got there.

Something brushed against Nora's leg, and she froze. It had touched her inner thigh, to be more specific, and it definitely wasn't her hair (her hair wasn't long enough). She thought about standing up, but a spasm of pain flashed through her, and she cried out. Breathing hard, she looked into the water, only to clap a hand over her mouth and yelp in shock.

"Bloodgood?" there was a knock at the door. "Bloodgood, are you all right in there?"

Nora took several deep breaths, trying to keep as calm as possible before answering. "I-I...can you just come in here, please!?"

The door opened, and Dr. Calvin stepped in. "What's wrong?"

"Come look," Nora's voice quivered as she pointed to the water between her legs.

Quirking an eyebrow, Calvin looked where she was pointing, and he gasped in surprise. "Oh, my God!" the two exchanged a glance, and then Calvin dipped his hands into the water and grabbed what was in there.

Nora felt as though she couldn't move as Calvin lifted a tiny, bluish baby out of the water and frantically laid it down on the bath mat, trying to get it to cry all the while. It took more than a few seconds for Nora to realize that the baby had just come from her own body, and she heaved herself up to get a better look at it. "Is...is it alive?"

The question was answered by a little cough that was followed by a few pitiful whimpers, and Calvin sighed in relief. "Yes, she's alive, Nora," as he pinched the cord to twist it off, he remarked, "I didn't know you were pregnant,"

"Really?" breathed Nora, cracking a smile. "I thought it was obvious," she glanced down at the murky water and grimaced. "I should probably get out of here,"

When she tried to heave herself out, Calvin quickly stopped her. "Whoa! Hang on just a minute, there- you just gave birth, I think you should wait a few minutes before you try and get out of there. You wouldn't want to slip and hurt yourself,"

As Calvin dried the baby off, Nora thought back on the previous events. "I wonder...I wonder if that shot Zelda gave me was to stimulate my labor?"

"Oh?" Calvin examined the baby. "You might be right. How far were you?"

"About five months, I believe,"

Calvin nodded. "That sounds about right. Would you like to hold her?"

Nora thought about it. This was a baby she was embarrassed about and even considered getting rid of at one point, but now, that seemed so far behind her. As she stared at the little, wet creature wrapped in a towel, she made her decision and held her arms out. "Yes,"

She took the baby into her arms and just stared down at her, feeling herself smile. "Aren't you a pretty one?" she cooed, stroking the little head. "My goodness, you're so lovely. Are you hungry?"

As she unclasped her bra, Calvin averted his eyes. "Do you really have to do that, now?"

"Oh, hush," Nora scolded gently, watching as her daughter quickly latched on. "My, my. What a smart little thing you are! Yes," she wondered how the Weaver children would react when she showed them this new baby. Would they love her? They probably would, but she felt as though Caleb especially wouldn't be exactly gentle with the newborn. New rules would have to be set to teach the kids how to behave around the baby.

All those thoughts suddenly dissipated when the baby opened her eyes and looked up, and Nora drew back in horror. Those eyes weren't the normal, grayish blue eyes that many babies were born with- they were blood red, just like Stoker's eyes.

"Nora?" Calvin's voice split the quiet. "Nora, are you all right?"

She didn't answer for a long time. "Yes," she said finally. "I'm fine, Calvin,"

Carnival music began to play from outside, and that could only mean one thing: the show was about to begin.

The humans came by the dozens. They came packed in their cars, dressed in the most outrageous clothing, and carrying cameras and things. Tucked behind one of the curtains, Ophelia watched them from the stage in the yard before turning to Phil.

"Phil, where's my mother?" Ophelia asked, anxious. "She should be here by now,"

Phil chewed on a piece of tobacco, looking at a sheet of paper. "Don't know. Why are you asking me? She's your mom,"

"Well, she's your girlfriend!" Ophelia snapped, rolling her eyes in disgust. She glanced back out at the steadily growing audience members, and then back to Phil. "If she doesn't show up in about five minutes, get Magnum to do the opening! I'm gonna go look for her,"

Further backstage, the twins stood in a row with the other rogue souls and a few zombies, while Billie walked up to each one and attached numbered tags to them.

"These numbers are the order in which you'll appear on stage," he explained, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Once your time on stage is over, you wait back here for us to direct you back to your cells. Got it?"

As he walked away, Tim looked over at Naoko, who was standing beside him. "Naoko!" he hissed angrily. "Why do you just let him treat us like cows!? Don't you have powers!?"

Naoko didn't answer, and she looked towards the doorway silently. The door opened, and Magnum walked in, looking rather frazzled. He went to Naoko right away, taking her jaw into his hand and kissing her passionately, all without saying a word. They pulled away after a few seconds, and Magnum brushed Naoko's arm affectionately before walking briskly into the next room. Naoko watched him leave, and she turned back to Tim.

"That's why I never fight back," Naoko explained softly. "I'm doing it for _him_ ,"

The stage door flew open suddenly, and Phil yelled, " _MAGNUM! GET OUT HERE!_ "

Magnum ran in from the other room, looking incredibly anxious. "Phil, Lyle's not well at all! Can't we just-"

"He can wait!" snapped Phil. "Zelda's running late, so you're gonna do the opening. Now, get out here!"

Reluctantly, Magnum walked out on stage and shut the door behind him. Tom took a glance into the other room, seeing Lyle lying down on a cot while curled up in pain. Amber stood over him, worriedly stuffing cotton balls into a wound on his neck as if he were a teddy bear.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Magnum's voice began over a loud speaker. "We welcome you to Mistress Zelda's Carnival of Wonders! Please take a seat and refrain from taking flash photography. Water and other refreshments are sold at the front desk..."

As Magnum continued with the basics, Tim nudged Billie.

"Billie," he whispered. "Can't you help us? It seems like you don't like this job,"

Billie just stared ahead. "Be quiet, kid,"

Tom looked Billie over for a moment, and then he began, "I know you, Billie. Your name is Billie Spencer, and you were a singer. You were really popular until you killed and ate one of your security guards. We can help you-"

All o the sudden, Billie whirled around in a rage. "You know what!?" he snarled, grabbing both boys by the collars of their shirts. "You get to go out early because you're both little pricks!"

He shoved the twins onstage, and Magnum had to shift through his cue cards. "Oh! Um...i-it looks like the Weaver Twins are up first!"

Tim and Tom both looked out on the audience, and the audience stared right back at them. The twins listened to the murmurs in the crowd:

"Are those really the Weaver twins?" "Yeah, those are the ones from Mount Todd!"

"God, they're ugly! I hope they're controlled,"

Tim wanted to cry. Was this all the children were worth to these people? Just some sort of entertainment? Even though he was wearing a mask, he felt ugly.

Tom, however, noticed a certain someone in the crowd, and he elbowed Tim. "Tim, look,"

Trying to control himself, Tim looked out into the crowd, and he saw the familiar face. "Is that...is that Benny?"

Before either boy could even process what was happening, the floorboards beneath them vibrated, and then burst open. Caleb leaped out from under the stage, grabbing his brothers by their ankles and yanking them down.

As the audience shrieked in shock, Magnum ran from his podium to the hole Caleb had created in the stage. "What the-?!"

Lillian suddenly rushed in from the right-hand corner of the stage, tackling Magnum and dragging him away by the neck, yelling all the while, "My brothers aren't freaks, you dumb bunny!"

Most of the audience members ran away when this happened, but some of them ran to where Lilian was dragging Magnum to try and take pictures. When they did this, Emily slipped out from under the stage and hissed at them, scaring them away. When one man didn't leave right away, Emily snatched away his camera and ripped out the film with her teeth.

Billie finally realized what was happening, and he ran to the door. "No! What are you doing!? Come back! Magnum!"

He froze when he felt a hand on the back of his neck, and a feminine voice whispered, "If you know what's good for you, you'll let these monsters go," When he remained silent, Spectra released her grip. "All right, then. Where's Zelda?"


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39:

The Raid

In the guest room, Calvin had helped move Bloodgood and the baby to the bed. When both mother and child were settled, Calvin sat down on the edge of the bed to explain what was going to happen.

"I called Aaleyah," he began, folding his hands on his lap. "She and the other SCP members will be arriving shortly to arrest Miss Zelda,"

Bloodgood nodded, thinking over what she'd just heard. "I see...do you have any idea who Zelda is?"

"I think I do," responded Calvin, sitting up a bit straighter. "We've gotten calls about this place in the past, but every time we came to investigate, everything seemed fine. I know now that Zelda and her companions must have ways of hiding things from visitors,"

When he mentioned Zelda's 'companions', Bloodgood remembered something. "Oh, and I meant to ask- one of those Wendigo said that the SCP had tried to hurt her in the past. Did you-?"

"Please," Calvin rolled his eyes and waved her off. "The two we encountered are Amber and Lyle Whitney, and yes, I do know them. We got a call about them maybe a year ago when a neighbor saw one of them transform. They're siblings, both Wendigo, but Lyle was adopted from Mexico. We know that Amber was born a Wendigo, but we're not sure about Lyle. Anyway, when we arrived at the house, Lyle had apparently flown into a kind of rage just minutes before, and he'd stolen a car and gone on a rampage. We eventually tracked him down in a grocery store, where we found him eating a cashier's face. After we captured him, Amber and her mother tried to attack us, but we chloroformed Amber and shot her mother dead,"

Nora's baby started rooting for food, and she undid her bra once again to feed her. "Wait," Nora let the information sink in. "Did...Did you ever find out why he went on that rampage?"

"We're still not quite sure," admitted Calvin. "But after we evaluated him, we concluded that he was too unstable to release and to violent to put in a hospital, so we planned to euthanize him. Amber was also mentally disturbed, as she used to carry around a baby doll that she believed to be real,"

"Well, what's wrong with that?"

Calvin took a breath. "But see, here's what disturbed us about that- a doctor did a physical on Amber and discovered that she'd actually recently given birth. But every time we tried to ask her about the baby, she'd always point to her doll and say, 'she's right here'. We still don't know what happened to the real baby, and we never found any files about it, though we had a theory that the real baby was stillborn and that she was just comforting herself," he shook his head. "I'm getting off topic. The point is, we have to get Amber, Lyle, and anyone else Zelda is using. It's for the better of themselves and those around them,"

The baby pulled away from her mother's breast, and Nora hoisted her up on her shoulder to pat her back while asking, "If you confiscate them, will you just try to kill them again?"

"If I had it my way, I would have them live with Milo," explained Calvin with a sigh. "But the head members of the SCP consider most Wendigo to be a threat to society and they want them dead. I really wish there was something more that I could do,"

"Well, there's nothing you can do!" a voice snarled from behind, and both Calvin and Bloodgood looked up in shock.

It was Mrs. Burton, and she had a gun pointed at them. Dr. Calvin stood up quickly at the sight of her. "Melissa!? What in God's name are you doing!?"

She just grinned wickedly. "Stopping you from ruining my plans with Miss Zelda. Those Wendigo are ours, so don't even think about trying to get to them!"

"You work with Zelda!?" Calvin nearly yelled, sounding betrayed. "But...you have a contract with the SCP!"

Mrs. Burton shrugged. "What difference does that make? Look, Zelda offered me something you couldn't- Revenge," her brows knitted together, and she took a step closer. "My son died because of those little monsters, those stupid Weaver kids. He wanted to see them and prove to everyone that they were real, and they killed him! Now, I have to take revenge aginst those monsters," she suddenly pointed the gun in Bloodgood's direction. "You're an idiot! You think monsters can become a part of society?! Well, they can't! The only place humans and the supernatural can get along is in Heaven!"

Nora covered her baby's head protectively with her hand, but she did not back down. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Burton," she explained as calmly as she could. "But trapping monsters and mocking them publicly isn't going to bring your son back. And you know what? You and Zelda are worse than them,"

All of the sudden, Melissa leaped on the bed with Bloodgood and pressed the nozzle of the gun against the newborn's head. Before Melissa could shoot, Bloodgood yanked the other woman's hand up, causing her to shoot the wall instead and put a large hole through it. The gunshot made the baby cry, and Calvin tackled Melissa to the ground, wrestling the gun away from her.

" _NO!"_ Melissa screamed, writhing around on the floor. _"STOP IT! GET OFF OF ME! YOU'LL NEVER STOP ME!"_ when Calvin successfully confiscated the gun, Melissa broke down into sobs. She rolled onto her side and curled into a fetal position, whimpering, "Travis! Oh, my God, Travis! I'm so sorry,"

As Calvin laid the gun down on the edge of the bed and rubbed Melissa's shoulder tenderly, Nora watched silently from the bed. Her baby still cried in fear, but not as loudly as before, and Nora rocked her gently to comfort her. When her daughter cracked her eyes open and looked at her, Nora looked away and wondered if there were colored contact lenses for babies.

It was at this moment that a thumping was heard in the ceiling above them. Calvin looked up when he heard it, and keeping his left hand on Melissa's shoulder, he slowly grabbed the gun from the edge of the bed. Nora lifted her head towards the ceiling, pressing her baby to her chest and thinking a silent prayer.

There was a cracking sound, and part of the ceiling burst open. Luckily, it was no Wendigo, but Caleb and the twins.

When Bloodgood saw them, she gasped happily. "Boys! Oh, boys, are you all right!?"

Tim looked up, and he ran to the bed right away and jumped up on it to embrace her. Balancing the baby in the crook of her arm, Bloodgood hugged Tim close and kissed his scarred neck. "Are you all right, Tim? I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, Bloodgood," he answered calmly, pulling away after a few seconds. This was when he finally saw the baby, and he did a double take. "A baby!? Where did that come from?"

Before Bloodgood could answer, Caleb sprang on the bed and immediately tried to take the newborn. "Baby!"

When the baby yelped in alarm, Bloodgood put a hand on Caleb's shoulder to keep him a safe distance away. "Caleb, you can't just grab her like that!"

Caleb just stared at her blankly. "But I like babies,"

Tim looked over at him when he said this. "You...do?" he asked, sounding confused.

"Yeah!" Caleb held out his arms in a 'gimme' fashion. "Can I hold her?"

Bloodgood took a deep breath and gestured for Caleb to come closer. "All right, well, come here," somewhat apprehensively, Bloodgood placed her daughter in Caleb's arms and showed him how to hold her properly. "Support her head, and be careful not to poke her," Bloodgood pulled her hands away, watching Caleb carefully as he looked down at the baby.

"I like her," he decided after few seconds. Oddly enough, the baby wasn't crying, but she looked up at Caleb with a confused expression. Caleb examined her curiously, and he lifted up part of her towel, only to fold it back down and snicker mischievously.

"What?" asked Bloodgood, raising an eyebrow.

Caleb stopped laughing after a few seconds. "She's naked!"

Bloodgood shook her head. "Oh, Caleb. We'll get her dressed soon enough," she smiled, watching him bond with the child, but she suddenly realized something: Stoker was Mary's mother, making him the grandfather of the children. However, he was also the father of the new baby, which meant that the baby was Mary Weaver's half sister. Caleb didn't know it yet, but he held his aunt in his arms.

"Would...would you like it if I brought her home?" Nora asked, her voice a bit softer.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah," he answered. For a moment, Nora thought she saw a glittery speck of skin on Caleb's neck, but she wasn't sure.

Calvin's voice broke the sweet moment. "Boys, what's going on up there?"

"Caleb just pulled us off the stage," explained Tom. "And now the others are wrecking everything. We haven't seen Zelda, yet,"

Nora grimaced. "Oh, that's right. We left Milo in the basement with Zelda, didn't we?"

When she said this, Caleb lifted his head up suddenly. "Is that why...? Wait, what?"

Dr. Calvin looked over at him, his brow furrowing. "Yes, Caleb?"

Caleb was quiet for a few seconds, and he rocked the baby gently before answering. "Well...Benny said he saw Milo running around outside the house with blood all over him, but Duncan couldn't find him,"

There was a pause, and Calvin stood up slowly. "Okay, thank you, Caleb," he walked to the corner of the corner and pulled out his cell phone, dialing a number. "Hi, Aaleyah? Are you here, yet?"

The minute he left Melissa unattended, she sprang up and ran to the trunk that was blocking the entrance to the tunnel. When she flipped the trunk over and dove inside the tunnel, Calvin saw and yelled, " _HEY!_ "

He ran into the tunnel after her, and Tom followed him, leaving his brothers alone with Nora and the baby.

* * *

 **Glad I could finish this today. I'll admit, I've been pretty lazy today and I need more to do...I also need to stop snacking on things when I'm bored.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Man, this story's pretty long. The end will be coming shortly, though I'm not sure how many chapters that will take.**

 **Questions, comments, or theories? As always, let me know in a review!**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40:

Reunion

"Is nobody going to talk?" Spectra asked, crossing her arms. "There are SCP vans pulling up. Either you talk, we give you over to them,"

The four Wendigo, now cornered by Spectra, Lillian, and Benny in the barn, remained totally silent as they were interrogated. Lyle held a rag to the wound on his neck, momentarily halting the bleeding.

When they still refused to say anything, Spectra turned away with a sigh. "All right, then. Let me just talk to those nice workers out there-"

"Wait!" Naoko came running in, and she threw her arms around Magnum and looked at Spectra pleadingly. "Please, don't hand them over! They'll just be put down! None of them wanted to hurt anyone, it was Zelda the whole time!"

Spectra just shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I have to tell _someone._ They'll just be out on the streets if I let them free,"

"No, we won't," Magnum answered, his voice a bit scratchy from having been roughed up by Lillian earlier. "My parents are still out there, somewhere,"

When Magnum said this, Billie leaned his head into his hand with a low growl. "For God's sake, Magnum," Billie looked up at him, glaring. "Your parents abandoned you when you got arrested for attacking that park ranger! They don't miss you,"

"At least that ranger's still alive," Magnum muttered bitterly. "Can't say the same about your security guard,"

Naoko looked up at Magnum when she heard this, grimacing. "Magnum, please don't-" but, the damage had already been done.

Billie stood up, his dark eyes flashing with anger and his hand curling into a fist. "Fuck you!" he snapped, whirling around to look at his companions. "Fuck all of you! You're the reason we got caught!"

"No, we aren't," Lyle tried to argue, but Billie wouldn't hear it.

"You shut up, you brain-damaged little idiot!" Billie retorted, pacing around anxiously. "If the SCP catches us, I'm gonna blame it all on you!" Billie stopped suddenly, and he stared out the window. There were indeed SCP agents outside, scouting the area.

Billie's shoulders began quivering, and the tremble traveled down to his hands as he placed them over his face and let out a strangled sob. He fell to his knees and cried bitterly for what seemed like an eternity, and the entire room stared in shock. After about ten seconds of loud weeping, Benny reached into the pocket of his overalls and handed Billie a handkerchief.

"I'm sorry you're upset," was all Benny said as he held the handkerchief out for Billie to take.

Billie turned around and stared at Benny for a few seconds, before turning back to the window and wiping at his eyes. "I-I guess," Billie took a deep breath. "I guess this is it,"

Suddenly, the back door burst open, and Melissa came running in with a pocket knife. " _YOU FREAKS!"_ she screamed, waving the knife wildly. " _HUMANS FOREVER!"_

Before anyone could stop her, Melissa jumped at Benny and plunged the knife into his chest, making him jump considerably. Benny was obviously unaffected by the wound, and he knocked Melissa flat on the ground before removing the clean knife from himself and looking down at it.

"Why'd you think that would work, miss?" he asked in an oddly innocent tone before gripping Melissa's arms and holding her down to the floor. "I'm already dead,"

As Melissa tried desperately to free herself from Benny's iron grip, Dr. Calvin rushed through the door with Tom trailing not too far behind.

"Is she..." Calvin nearly collapsed, catching his breath. "Is she...is she all right?"

"Let go of me!" growled Melissa, squirming around beneath Benny. "Zelda's going to put a stop to all of you, and that's a promise!"

When Melissa said this, Spectra had a thought. "Where is Zelda, anyway? Did the SCP find her?"

"I'll go look," Tom volunteered, turning and walking calmly out the door.

The SCP was attempting to load up some of the freak show displays, but a chimera had escaped and some agents were trying to catch it in a net. A few agents were trying to break the door to Zelda's house down, and others had just discovered the secret basement door and were preparing to enter.

"Freeze!" a voice behind Tom shouted, and he turned over his shoulder to look.

Phil was standing behind him with a can of ghost spray clutched in his hand, and he had a menacing look in his dark eyes.

"Where are the others?" Phil asked, his voice low.

Tom just stared at him for a few seconds before answering. "If you tell me where Zelda is, I'll tell you where my friends are,"

Phil only snarled in annoyance. "I don't know where Zelda is, you little freak! Now, tell me where they are, or your friend gets it!"

It was then that Tom noticed Duncan standing a few feet away, his wrists bound together in duct tape and tears streaming down his face. "Travis, I'm sorry!" sobbed Duncan, looking miserable. "This is all my fault! Forgive me,"

"Shut up!" Phil whirled around to face Duncan. "That's not my name anymore, and I'll never forgive you for what you've done! Now," he turned back to Tom, breathing madly and pulling out a gun. "Now, if you don't tell me where the others are, he gets a bullet in his brain! Better start talking, creep!"

Before Tom could even say anything, Mar, Toshio's cat, came bounding out of the woods with a shrieking battle cry erupting from his mouth. With a bounding leap, Mar tackled Phil and sank his sharp teeth into the man's neck, ripping a yell from his throat. As Phil tried in vain to pry Mar off of him, Tom ran for Duncan and tore the duct tape away from his wrists, freeing him.

As Tom and Duncan ran for the barn, Phil tried to chase after them, though Mar would not relent. " _GET BACK HERE!"_ Phil screamed, struggling with the black cat. " _YOU GODDAMN FREAK!"_

When Tom flew the back door open, he and Duncan were met with the sight of Kayako crumpled to the floor on her knees with Naoko clutched in her long, pale arms. Both were weeping and hugging while saying things in Japanese.

Duncan took a breath, wiped at his eyes, and walked over to where the two women were embracing. "K-Kayako," he took a breath, steadying himself. "Who is this?"

Kayako looked up, and a grin spread across her tear-stained, pale face. "This is my sister," she explained softly. "I have not seen her in a very long time,"

Naoko sobbed happily into her sister's shoulder, choking out, "I'm just happy she knows who I am!"

As the sisters reunited on the floor, Spectra noticed Duncan's tears and hovered over to him right away. "Duncan, what's wrong? The SCP's here, they'll take care of everything,"

"I-It's not that," Duncan sniffed, dabbing at his eyes once more. "It's...it's just-"

The back door flew open once again, and Phil came stalking in, furious and covered with cat scratches. "You useless bastards!" he yelled, pointing at the wendigo who sat on the floor. "Zelda should have kicked you out when she had the chance! Why won't you kill them!? I..." he stopped when he noticed the woman that Benny was holding, and his face fell. "...Mom?"

Melissa, tired and drained from trying to fight back, lifted her head up, and her eyes widened. "Travis!?"

Seeing this, Benny released her, and she ran to her son and threw her arms around him. "Travis!" she burst into tears, squeezing him tightly. "Oh, my God! You're alive!"

Those who were standing close to Travis noticed a glowing greenish hue suddenly drain from his eyes, and he instantly was filled with emotion. A sob made its way out of his throat, and he hugged his mother tightly while the tears soaked the shoulder of her shirt. "Mom, what are you doing here!?" he asked after about a minute, wiping at his eyes.

"I-I work with Zelda!" Melissa explained breathlessly, her shoulders heaving. "I help her trap monsters for her freak show, and...oh, God!" she buried her face back into her son's chest. "She told me she found you dead in the woods!"

Travis lifted his head up, and he looked very upset. "She told you I was dead?"

"That's what we've been trying to tell you, Travis," Naoko spoke up. "Zelda doesn't love you, and she never loved any of her past husbands, for that matter. She's using you for your life force,"

There was a pause, and Travis stared down at his hands. "I know that now," he said finally, his voice a littler quieter. "I feel like...I feel like I just woke up from a dream. I don't know what happened, but we have to stop her," he turned back to his mother and put a hand on her shoulder. "Where is Zelda?"

"Down in her basement," explained Melissa, taking a breath. "She was being attacked by Dr. Wing, but she undid his spell before he could kill her. She's hiding in the basement, now, and he's with her. She told me not to say anything, but..."

Spectra hovered over to the back door and pushed it open, looking towards the house. "Kids, come on," she said after a moment, beckoning the three Weaver children who were with her. "You have a grievance to repay,"


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41:

Karma

It was 3:00 PM. A storm was brewing in the sky.

Declan's car pulled up to the house that was surrounded by SCP and police vehicles, and he jumped out and ran to the nearest person he could find.

"Where is my daughter!?" Declan nearly screamed, grabbing an SCP agent's arm. "Her name is Nora Bloodgood, and she said she was here-"

"Sir, please calm down," the agent put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away gently. "We're trying to get into the basement right now, and then we'll look for her. Please, just stay calm,"

This didn't comfort Declan, and he was close to hyperventilating. "Can't you do something!? She's pregnant! You have to help me,"

"Declan?" a voice behind him said, and he turned around. It was Billie, and he was standing there with a terrified look on his face.

The agent began to advance towards Billie, but Declan stopped him. "No, no- let me handle him,"

Declan took Billie's arm gently and led him to a spot behind a few trees, where he then reached out and placed a hand on Billie's cheek. "What are you doing here?"

There was a silence, and then Billie burst into tears and buried his face into Declan's chest. After a moment, Declan wrapped his arms around the younger man and held him tightly.

"I'm taking you home," Declan said after a moment. "And I'm going to find out what's been going on with you. But, before that, I have to find Nora,"

"But-!" Billie tried to argue, but Declan just cut him off by kissing him passionately.

"Go to my car," began Declan as he pulled away. "And hide there. I will be with you shortly, love," he then gestured to an SCP truck. "I do not want these people anywhere near you, you understand?"

Billie nodded silently and broke away, looking around cautiously before slipping into Declan's van.

As this was happening, Spectra snuck through the back of the house with Lillian by her side.

"Mama, where are we gonna find Zelda?" Lillian asked quietly as she and Spectra crept through the kitchen.

"They said she was in the basement," began Spectra, looking around. "But I'm not sure where that is. This house is huge, so you need to be extra careful not to get lost, okay?"

Lillian nodded understandingly. "I got it, Mama," she stopped suddenly, and then turned to look up the stairs with a quizzical look on her face. "What's that?"

Spectra took a moment to listen. It sounded like muffled voices- someone was upstairs.

"Stay here, sweetheart," murmured Spectra, brushing Lillian's cheek with the back of her hand and hovering quickly up the stairs. Once she made it to the hallway, she turned right to see a door that was open just a crack, and she pushed it open gently.

It was Amber and Lyle, and they were rummaging through the drawers and laying newspaper clippings on the bed beside them. Two small children sat on the bed as well, and Amber was trying to stop them from playing with the clippings.

"Daisy, no!" Amber hissed at one point, snatching a piece of paper from a little red-haired toddler.

Spectra stood in the doorway and examined the situation carefully. "What's going on?" she asked finally.

Lyle didn't look up as he rooted through a dresser drawer. "Evidence!" he barked. "We're gathering evidence! Zelda might convince those people to let her go, so we're getting evidence to incriminate her,"

"I don't think they'd let her go so easy," Spectra responded, picking up a few papers that had scattered on the floor. "The SCP has been trying to find her for years, so I don't think they'll let her just slip away now that they've found her," she glanced down at a certain piece of paper that she'd found, and her brow furrowed. "Hey...why does Zelda save all of these?"

"Dunno," answered Amber, parting the curtain and glancing out the window. "Trophies, maybe,"

Spectra lifted the clipping up, her eyes skimming over the text. She looked at the black and white photograph that was situated beside the paragraph, and it was the man who would always be engraved in her memory: her father.

She placed the clipping on the nightstand- she didn't even need to read it. She knew the truth. "Lyle," she began, lifting her head. "Can you show Lillian and me how to get into the basement?"

Lyle hesitated. "I think Zelda's down there...and so is the bug,"

"That doesn't matter right now," Spectra stated firmly, turning around to look at him. Her eyes were glowing menacingly, and her voice sounded drastically different. "The SCP hasn't captured all of the rogue souls yet, and they haven't captured all of you, either. She's outnumbered,"

Several feet below, Zelda cranked up the volume of her radio to drown out the sound of Milo sobbing in the cell behind her. She grimaced, watching herself in the mirror as she pressed a cluster of tissues to the gaping wound in her face to keep it from bleeding any further.

"'Turn the mantis feral,' Billie said," muttered Zelda bitterly, lifting up a bit of the paper to examine the blood. "'It'll draw in more customers,' he said," Milo's crying became too much to bear, and Zelda whirled around and snapped, "Quiet, you! If you didn't want blood in your mouth, you shouldn't have eaten part of my face!" she turned the radio up louder, removing the tissues and sighing sadly at the damage. "How on Earth am I going to heal this?"

Just then, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. "Phil!" she exclaimed, seeing him in the reflection of her mirror. "Where have you been!? Did you get the SCP to leave?"

"No, I didn't," explained Phil, holding up a cardboard box. "But, I have something for you,"

Zelda raised an eyebrow, setting her bloodied tissues on the vanity set. "Potions?"

"No," he said once again, looking away.

Though she was hesitant, she reached inside the box. "Wha-? Phil!" she pulled out a copy of the Holy Bible with a confused expression on her face. "Is this some kind of joke!?"

Phil slowly set the box down, glaring up into Zelda's Emerald eyes. "My name's not Phil, bitch,"

Before Zelda could even speak, a giant hand clapped down on her shoulder and flung her into a pile of boxes towards the back door. As she recovered from the shock among the scattered boxes, she looked up to see Benny looming over her.

"Good evening," was all Benny said, before he lunged at her once more. Zelda, however, reacted quickly, and she rolled away from him and sprinted towards the stairs that led to the trapdoor.

Zelda flung the door open, dislodging the shard of bone she'd been using to keep it shut and running through the grass outside the house, past the SCP agents who began firing their guns and shouting at her. She missed their bullets and ran straight into the woods, where she eventually collapsed after being snagged in a thorny rose bush.

As Spectra approached, she took a moment to look at the awful woman who lay writhing in the thorns: part of Zelda's face was torn and bleeding, her dress was torn, her hair was a frizzy, graying wreck, and her entire body was quivering. She was pathetic, and she had become what she was- a feeble old woman who was terrified of her mortality.

"I can't help but pity you, Zelda," Spectra admitted quietly, crossing her arms. "I was going to kill you for what you've done, but it seems like you've done yourself in. And to think- you did all this because you were afraid of death and the idea of growing old,"

Suddenly, Zelda gasped loudly and rolled onto her front, crawling towards Spectra and reaching her bony hand up. "Let me go!" rasped Zelda, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, I promise I'll never do this again!"

Whether or not Zelda actually felt remorse for her actions, no one can say. A dark gray tarp was tossed over Zelda's body, and Tim came running up.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, gathering up the old woman in the tarp. He looked around, kicking a pile of sticks. "You got a lighter? I'm gonna burn her!"

"No!" Dr. Calvin came running over, grabbing the tarp. "Tim, you have to let us dispose of her! There could be disastrous consequences if you don't listen to me!"

Tim shook his head firmly. "No chance! I've waited for this for too long- we gotta do to her what she did to us!"

Dr. Calvin just tugged on the tarp some more, though he could not shake Tim's grip. "Tim, will you just-?!"

Without warning, the tarp ripped wide open, and a copious amount of dust came spilling out. Everyone went silent as the dust poured into the grass, and the only solid thing left of Zelda tumbled out with it: her black dress.

"Oh," was all Tim could say.

* * *

 **Hey, wow, this was a long wait. Or, at least, it feels that way...**

 **Yeah, sorry that this was a bit off schedule (even though I don't have a 'schedule' for when I post stuff), but a lot has happened this past week: I graduated, and then I stayed up until 4 am afterward, and then I slept until noon. I also was at the dentist two days ago, and I've been cleaning around the house, so...yeah, it's been kinda crazy.**

 **But, yeah, I hope you enjoyed! This story's almost over, so I thank you for reading it for this long! There's probably two or more chapters after this, so stick around.**


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42:

Rain

It began to rain. It rained lightly, but it was still rain.

"Kids!" Spectra gasped as she gathered all the Weavers around her. "Are all of you all right?!"

"Why wouldn't we be?" asked Tom, putting his arm around Spectra. "We were living by ourselves for years,"

It was so strange to think of how violent and dangerous these kids had been considered to be, and _had_ been. It seemed so long ago when Spectra, Jared, Operetta and Nora ventured into those woods to fetch these children, and how long it took to redeem them. Spectra recalled the milestones in her relationship with the kids: the day they arrived home, the first baths they'd taken in years, the doctor visit, the mall trip, their first Christmas together, the first day of school, and now this. As she looked at them and observed how much they'd changed, she held back her tears and cleared her throat. "Let's go find Bloodgood. Come on, kids," she picked up Lillian and gestured for the other kids to follow her.

Further away, the police ended up having to tranquilize Zelda's daughter, Ophelia, because she became extremely violent and began resisting arrest. After she'd collapsed on the ground, everyone watched as she was dragged into an ambulance and locked inside.

"Good riddance," remarked Magnum as he and Naoko watched from the bushes near the driveway.

Naoko quickly shoved their bags and suitcases into the back of a rusty old van, looking around nervously. "Quickly, Magnum! We must leave before the SCP spots you. Where is Primrose?"

Magnum scooped up the child that was sitting at his feet, as well as another child that was trotting around in the dirt. "Yes, and tell Sadako that I got Sakura, too,"

"Sadako!" Naoko called out into the bushes. Sadako poked her head out, and Naoko gestured to Sakura.

Sadako shuffled quickly out of the thicket and scooped up her daughter, while Magnum opened up the car door for them to enter.

"Where are you going!?" Lyle came running out to the car, grabbing Magnum's arm. "Why are you taking Sakura!?"

"Lyle, go away," Magnum said firmly, shaking himself out of the younger man's grip. "I have to get my family out of here,"

"Sakura's not yours, Magnum!" Lyle tried to stop Magnum as he slammed the door shut. "Please, that's my daughter!"

Magnum ignored him and started the car up, and Lyle ran to the back seat window. "Sadako, let me have Sakura!" he shouted, staring at her pleadingly. Sadako, however, refused to even look at him.

Little Sakura saw her father and began wailing, and Sadako covered her ears as the car suddenly sped off, knocking Lyle flat onto the pavement.

" _YOU BITCHES!"_ he screamed, in tears at this point. " _HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!?"_

As Lyle crumbled down on the driveway in a weeping mess, Amber came running up with Megan, Amy, and two more kids. "Lyle, we have to go!" Amber panted, grabbing his shoulder. "I think an agent spotted us!" she stopped when she noticed how upset he was. "What happened? Did Sadako get Sakura after all?"

When Lyle nodded tearfully, Megan remarked, "Magnum took Sakura over Tyler? Damn,"

"Daddy left without me?" asked Tyler, the little four-year-old boy who was at Megan's side. He looked genuinely upset by this.

"Yeah, yeah, don't take it too personally," Megan answered quickly, turning her attention back to Lyle. "We gotta go, Lyle. You still have Daisy, so stop crying and skedaddle,"

As Amber led everyone away quietly, Samara watched from the side of the house.

"You promise you won't let them take me back to my dad?" asked Sydney, who was standing beside her.

Samara nodded, turning to look at him with her icy blue eyes shining from beneath her dark hair. "I promise," she answered simply. "I'll take you to Milo, and everything will be fine. Do you still have your knife?"

Sydney nodded, but he still looked scared. "Dad carries a bigger one,"

"No need to worry," assured Samara, taking Sydney's hand. She held her small child, Max, with her other hand. "I sense that Milo is this way,"

She led Sydney to an ambulance with one door slightly ajar, and she glanced inside. Sure enough, Milo was inside- his clothes were torn and bloodied, and he was weeping profusely. Samara watched him for a moment before gently releasing Sydney's hand and climbing inside.

"Milo," Samara approached, reaching out and touching him. "It's me,"

Milo looked up, and his mouth fell open. "Samara!" he choked out, reaching for her. "My dear little Samara! Were you trapped here, too!?"

"Yes," she answered gently, wrapping him in a hug. "Don't be upset, I'm all right. You're happy to see me?"

"Of course I am!" he pushed back a section of her hair, revealing a sliver of her disfigured, yet strangely beautiful, face. "I'm so sorry for putting you in Rodney's care! I-if I'd just cared for you, none of this would have-"

Samara put a gnarled finger against his mouth to silence him. "Don't apologize, I don't blame you. Look," she knelt down and picked up Max, placing him in Milo's lap. "I got my baby back,"

Milo's eyes widened, and after about a minute, he asked, " _Your_ baby? From...from one of the Wendigo?"

"No," answered Samara, stroking Max's sparse black hair. "Rodney,"

"Oh, my God!" gasped Milo, looking down at Max in surprise. "Samara, you can't have a baby- _you're_ still a baby!"

"No, I'm not," Samara simply replied. "I'm eleven and a half. I'm old enough,"

Just then, Sydney came stumbling into the ambulance. "My dad's out there!" he gasped, sounding terrified. "I think he saw me!"

Chuck broke into a run when he saw Sydney jump into the back of an ambulance. "Sydney!" he snapped, running to the doors just as they both slammed shut. "Sydney, I swear to God, if you don't get out here right now-"

He stopped when the door opened, and Samara stepped out quickly. "Your son is scared of you," Samara stated. "I'm protecting him from you,"

"What did he tell you!?" Chuck demanded, stepping forward and getting right in Samara's face. "Whatever it was, it was a lie! I never laid a hand on him- he got those bruises from his games!"

Samara remained silent, and she made sure the door was completely shut. She then lifted the smooth black hair away from her face, revealing the face of a girl who had been dead for decades. Glowing circles spun around repeatedly in her eyes, and she whispered, "You have seven days,"

Spectra and the Weavers found Bloodgood seated in the back of an ambulance with a blanket draped across her lap. Declan stood beside her, and he held the baby in his arms.

Right away, Benny jumped into the back and threw his arms around Bloodgood, making her yelp in surprise. "Benny! Darling, please! You're crushing me," when he released her, she managed a laugh and patted his arm. "Have you been brave today, Benny?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Benny answered with a firm nod.

"Me too!" Caleb piped up, crawling into Bloodgood's lap. "I was brave, too!"

Bloodgood had to laugh again, running her fingers through his dark hair. "Yes, yes, Caleb. I know you were," Bloodgood's eyes met with Spectra's, and they smiled at each other.

"Mama," Lillian tugged on Spectra's skirt, getting her attention. "Mama, Honey Bunny wants to go home,"

"Really?" asked Spectra, kneeling down to Lillian's height. "Well, doesn't Honey Bunny want to meet the baby first?"

Lillian looked up at the baby in Declan's arms, and she waved an overexaggerated wave at the baby. "Hi, baby! Can we go?"

"Rude!" huffed Caleb, and Spectra couldn't help giggle.

"Okay, okay," she stood up, turning to the kids. "We'll head back, but we'll visit Bloodgood at the hospital, okay?"

Caleb reluctantly pulled away from Bloodgood's lap, and the kids hopped off the ambulance one by one. Before Spectra left, she hovered over to Bloodgood and leaned in close to her.

"I'm so happy I have a family with you, Headmistress," Spectra whispered endearingly.

Bloodgood smiled, but it faded into a look of annoyance. "Don't call me that,"

Spectra led the kids out to the car, which was parked near the side of the road. However, as they made their way across the grassy front lawn, something happened.

"Spectra," Tim stopped suddenly, touching his mask. "My face feels weird,"

"Weird, huh?" Spectra tilted her head in thought. "What do you mean by...? Wait..." her eyes widened, and she bent down to look at him. "Take off your mask for a second!"

Tim recoiled in surprise. "What!? No!"

That was when Tom started tugging at Spectra's hand. "Um, Spectra?"

"Yes, Tom-?" she halted, seeing his hand. It was...normal. His fingers were no longer mangled and broken, and the rest of his limbs were fine, too. He just stood there in shock, gripping Spectra's hand tightly.

"Oh, my God!" exclaimed Spectra, cupping his masked face with her hand. "Tom! Wha- what happened!?"

Tom seemed far away and distant. "I'm not sure," he admitted quietly. "I was just standing here, and..." he trailed off, and he reached up behind his head to undo the straps on his mask.

Everyone held their breath as Tom pulled his mask down. All was quiet, except for the gentle pitter-patter of the rain. Tom held his cracked, frowning mask in his hand, and he looked up at his siblings.

This was the moment Spectra burst into tears. "Oh, Tom!" she rushed forward and put both her hands on his face, sobbing. "Look at you! You're so beautiful!"

Spectra had seen photos of Tom while he was still alive, but he looked slightly older, now. He had bold brown eyes, pale skin (this was obviously because he was a ghost), and a sharp jawline. As she stared at him, Spectra had no idea how anyone could have ever abused this child.

Tim pushed Spectra out of the way, and he looked at Tom silently for a few seconds. Then, he reached up and began to remove his own mask.

When the mask was off and clutched in Tim's hand, two boys who looked practically identical stared at each other in the rain. Just by looking at them, Spectra knew that she was going to have a difficult time telling them apart, now.

The twins embraced one another, and Tim started weeping into his brother's shoulder. Now that he was able to do so, Tom hugged Tim even tighter and ran a hand through his hair, just relishing in the fact that he had full use of his limbs. After a moment, Tom looked up at Spectra and mouthed the words, ' _thank you_ '.

"Spectra!" Benny came running up, holding up his arms for Spectra to see. "Spectra, look! My scars are gone!" it was true: his arms were clear, and his body wasn't so hunched over, now. Despite this, he really didn't look at that different.

Grinning, Spectra wiped her eyes and hugged him, too. "You look wonderful, Benny,"

Lillian was next. "What about me, Mama? I feel the same,"

Spectra looked down at her, and she gasped in pleasant shock. "Lillian! Oh, you _did_ change!" Indeed, Lillian's eyes had gone from black holes to bright, blue eyes with long eyelashes. Her skin even looked brighter, and so did her hair. Spectra couldn't resist picking her up and fawning over her. "You're so beautiful, Lillian! Look at those eyes- wait, hang on," trembling, Spectra pulled out her pocket mirror and handed it to Lillian. "Look!"

Lillian took the mirror, and she tilted her head as she looked at herself in its glass, her brow furrowing. "My eyes," she began finally, stunned. "They're blue!"

"My eyes were blue, too!" Caleb piped up. Spectra turned to look at him, and she had to gasp again.

Caleb's eyes were, in fact, blue, but that wasn't all. What had once been his bony, skeletal figure was now covered in pale white skin (he looked a little lighter than the others, but maybe that was just his dark hair). He, like Lillian, also had long eyelashes, and his eyebrows were so thick. He didn't even seem like the same child.

Spectra knelt right down and showed him the mirror, and his eyes went wide. "Is that me!?" he snatched the mirror and gazed at himself. After about a minute, his eyes welled up and he began wiping at them.

"Why are crying?" asked Spectra, putting an arm around him.

Caleb wiped his tears on the back of his hand. "I'm happy," he stated in a quiet voice, and then he looked down at his hand. "I still have my nails!" he exclaimed, his voice full of excitement. He dug them into the rain soaked dirt and pulled out a little stone, giving it to Spectra. "For you!"

Spectra began to cry again, putting the muddy rock in her pocket. "T-thank you," she held her arms out tried her best to hug all five children at once. "I love you, kids," she choked out finally, burying her face in Tim's damp hair.

"We love you, too," Tim replied.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43:

The Neon Gods We've Made

A month passed.

During this month, Spectra officially moved in with Bloodgood and both women worked to legally adopt the kids. Around this time, Spectra completed her video project and sent it to her boss, who loved it and posted it to the internet. Pretty soon, people were sending letters and packages from all over the world to the kids.

This was quite a surprise when Bloodgood sent Tim to get the mail one morning, and he came running back inside with a cluster of packages in his arms.

"This isn't even all of them!" he exclaimed.

The letters were full of nothing but support, and the packages contained toys, coloring books, and other various things for the children. Someone even sent Caleb a little spinning wheel, for his ADHD.

"He hasn't moved at all," whispered Spectra as she and Nora watched from the kitchen.

Caleb sat at the table, completely silent and completely still, just spinning the little gadget over and over again in his hands. He blinked, and then whispered, "I like it,"

However, all these gifts would never compare to the best gift of all: the new baby girl. Nora had decided to name her Kestrel, and the children accepted her the moment they'd each gotten to look at her. Kestrel was unafraid of them and loved them back, though Caleb and Lillian were especially close to her.

One evening, Spectra overheard Lillian whispering as she hovered over Kestrel's crib: "If you ever get lost," Lillian was saying. "You need to find your way back, or the witches will put you in the oven and cook you up!"

Spectra couldn't help but laugh. "Witches? The oven? What are you saying to her, Lillian?"

"I'm just helping," Lillian explained with a shrug.

Though the children loved little Kestrel, Nora knew that one day she was going to have to tell them who Kestrel really was, and then she would have to admit what happened between her and Stoker (who had moved away- after a failed apology letter to Nora and an unsuccessful attempt to be in Kestrel's life, he'd left the house seemingly overnight). Yet, she had a feeling Tom already knew.

"Hey, Bloodgood," Tom spoke up one day as he was giving Kestrel a bottle. "She reminds me of Lillian,"

"Does she?" Nora asked as she cleaned off the kitchen counter, though her hands were shaking. _At least he didn't compare her to Stoker..._

They were a strange little family, the eight of them, but they would've never had it any other way. After dropping the kids off at school and Kestrel off at the sitter's, the two women would go to their respective jobs, though they always made sure to call one another during their lunch hours.

"Okay, so Caleb's trying out for the track and field team after school today," explained Nora over the phone. "So that means you have to get him twenty minutes after the others, all right?"

Spectra nodded, scrolling through headlines on her computer. "Yeah, yeah, got it," she glanced at the clock. "Hey, my lunch hour's almost over. Talk later?"

"Of course! Don't forget to pick up Kestrel,"

"I won't!" assured Spectra. Just as she was about to hang up, she added, "I love you!"

She disconnected and set the phone down, only to realize what she'd just said. "God Dammit!" she thought about calling back, but it was no use, now. "Oh, Lord..." Spectra leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. "I actually said it,"

"Wow!" Ron, her coworker, leaned over the cubicle and grinned at her. "Just get married already!"

The days went by, and everything seemed perfect. They were a peaceful little family, and worry seemed almost non-existent.

Until Friday evening, when the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" volunteered Benny, who got down from his seat at the dinner table and went to the phone.

Once Benny had left the room, Tim leaned over to Spectra and remarked, "His voice got deeper,"

"I noticed," Spectra nodded, pouring a glass of water. "He's changing, and so are you,"

Benny re-entered, carrying the phone in his hand. "It's for you," he handed it to Nora. "It's the SCP,"

Nora, who was holding a very fussy Kestrel, just sighed and tucked the phone beside her neck so she could bottle-feed her daughter. "Hello? Yes, this is she,"

There was a pause, and then Nora's face went blank. The kids saw, and everything went quiet.

"Are you sure?" asked Nora finally, her voice sounding far away.

"What?" whispered Spectra, concerned.

After a moment, Nora stood up and set the bottle down, handing Kestrel over to Spectra and walking briskly into the living room. "But why!?" Nora's voice sounded strained. "Why do they- oh, for God's sake!"

Spectra glanced into the living room, watching as Nora sank down onto the couch and rested her head in her hand. She was quiet for a long time, and then she spoke up in a quivering voice, "Fine. Just understand that the children are fully capable of making their own decisions and have the right to say no," and then, she hung up.

Nora was silent for the remainder of dinner, and she didn't discuss the phone call until she and Spectra were alone in the kitchen.

"So, what did the SCP say?" asked Spectra, gathering some plates and putting them away.

Nora just sighed as she rinsed off the silverware. "It's John and Mary Weaver. They've requested to see the kids,"

Spectra froze, nearly dropping the glass she was carrying. "You mean...their parents!? But, why?"

"I don't know," admitted Nora. "Specifically, Mary filed the request from her enclosure in SCP's headquarters, and when John was asked about it, he said he also wanted to see them,"

"But, do they want to apologize?" Spectra wanted to know, outraged. "Or...?"

Nora shrugged. "They never said. What do you think we should do?"

Spectra closed the cabinets and thought about it. "Well..." she began slowly. "We should ask the kids if they want to see their parents. But, maybe we should just ask Benny and the twins? After all, they are the oldest,"

"Good idea," Nora nodded. "I don't know if the youngest ones could handle it. We'll ask the oldest three once we're done cleaning in here,"

Later that night, Caleb and Lillian were sent up to bed, but the three eldest children had to stay in the living room. Gently and carefully, Bloodgood explained what the SCP had said and that the kids didn't have to go if they didn't want to. The boys didn't interrupt or comment- they just sat there silently and listened.

"What do you think?" Bloodgood asked quietly after she was done talking.

The boys exchanged glances, and then Benny sat up straight. "I-I would see them," he replied. He was trying to sound adult and mature, but his voice cracked. "It's been awhile,"

"Yeah," agreed Tim. He was staring at the carpet, his brow knitted in thought. "I mean...maybe they're different, now,"

Spectra reached out and laid her hand on Tim's. "So, you're willing?"

Tim nodded after a moment. "But, we're not going back with them," he stated firmly.

"Of course not," Bloodgood assured. "We've made plans to adopt you, so you're not going anywhere," she looked to Tom, who'd been silent this whole time. "What do you think, Tom?"

Tom ran a hand through his messy hair, thinking. "Everything that happened to me happened because of them," he muttered finally, bitter.

Bloodgood looked at him sympathetically. "I understand, Tom. And you don't have to go if you don't-"

"I do," Tom cut in, lifting up his head and staring at the wall blankly. "I want to hear Mary's excuse," judging by the tone he used, it was clear he didn't consider her his mother anymore. "When do they want to see us?"

"Tomorrow morning," Bloodgood answered. "We'll drop off your brother and sister at my father's house, and then we'll continue on to the SCP Family Center. The meeting should last only an hour, but we can end it early if you feel uncomfortable,"

After a pause, Tim looked up, and Bloodgood realized that he and Tom really did look like James McAlroy. "We'll do it," Tim nearly whispered.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44:

Facing the Past

 **Warning: this chapter deals with subjects such as child abuse. Proceed with caution.**

That next Saturday morning seemed to drag on and on.

Spectra got the kids up early, got them downstairs for breakfast and dressed for the day, and then waited for Bloodgood to finish bathing Kestrel.

"What are you gonna say to them?" Caleb asked Tim as they combed their hair in the bathroom.

Tim shrugged, setting his comb down. "I don't know. It depends on what they say, I guess,"

There was a pause, and then Caleb asked hesitantly, "Hey...is it true you and Tom are really McAllroy's kids?"

"Hmm?" Tim glanced down at his younger brother. "Oh...yeah, it is. That doesn't make you mad, does it?"

"Not really," shrugged Caleb, running his hand beneath the faucet and slicking his dark hair back. "It isn't your fault," he was quiet for a moment, and then he laid the comb down on the edge of the sink. "I saw McAllroy last night,"

Tim was silent for a few seconds. "And?" he asked finally.

"It was at midnight," Caleb explained, his voice soft. "I woke up to get a drink, and I saw him standing over Kestrel's crib. He was trying to touch her, so I threw my shoe at him and yelled at him to leave,"

"Did he?"

"Yes,"

Tim couldn't help but chuckle. "Good," he ruffled his brother's hair affectionately and left.

Later, Bloodgood drove up to Declan's house to drop off the younger ones.

Lillian rocked uneasily on her heels as Bloodgood rang the doorbell. "What if my first Mama and Papa wanted to see me?"

"What they want isn't important, now, Lillian," Bloodgood assured her firmly. "It's best for you to say right here,"

The door opened after a few seconds, and Billie was standing there in nothing but a bathrobe. "I'm so sorry, I forgot you were coming!" he let them in quickly, shutting the door behind them. "I just got out of the shower, Declan's in the basement,"

"All right, then," Bloodgood nodded, setting down Kestrel's car seat and unbuckling the fasteners. "Now, here comes what you've been waiting for, Billie. Prepare yourself!"

Billie jolted and held his arms out, and Bloodgood went and laid little Kestrel down in them. It was pretty well known among this family that Billie loved spending time with Kestrel, and he especially loved holding her.

As the younger children settled in with Billie, Bloodgood headed for the door. "All right, you stay out of trouble, now!"

"We will!" Billie assured as he sat down on the sofa, bringing up the bottle he'd been given and offering it to Kestrel. As Kestral drank happily, Billie noticed that Caleb was glaring at him from the carpet. "...what?"

"You'd better not hurt her!" Caleb threatened, crossing his arms.

Billie rolled his eyes. "I took my meds this morning, kid. You got nothing to worry about,"

In the car, Spectra nervously popped a mint into her mouth. What if Mary demanded to have the kids back? No, no, she wouldn't do that. Would she? What about John?

"Spectra," Tom spoke suddenly, making her jump. "You don't have to be scared,"

Spectra sighed, turning around and looking at the boys behind her. "I-I know, but...this is...so confusing,"

Tom reached forward and squeezed her hand, telling her firmly, "It is, but you will always be our mother. You and Bloodgood both,"

Spectra's eyes filled with tears, and she quickly tried to wipe them away as Bloodgood re-entered the car.

"Are we ready to go?" Bloodgood inquired.

"Yes," answered Spectra in a quiet voice.

They arrived at the center several minutes later, and an assistant showed them to a small waiting room. Upon entering the waiting room, the boys were surprised to see Lisa and Louise there with Miss Sue (the school's guidance counselor).

"Hey," Tim greeted as he sat beside Lisa. "Why are you here?"

Both the girls looked incredibly nervous, and Lisa explained, "We're here to see our father for the first time in years. And, well," the two girls exchanged mortified glances. "He was the one who killed us,"

"Now, girls," Miss Sue stroked the back of Louise's head reassuringly. "You will be fine. The agents promised to keep your father in his restraints, so you have nothing to worry about,"

Just then, the door opened, and an agent stepped out. "Lisa and Louise? Your father will see you, now,"

Sue stood up and beckoned both girls, but Tom had a thought. "Louise?"

Louise stopped and turned to look at him, and Tom walked right up to her and kissed her cheek. If she'd had blood, she would blush, but she grinned giddily instead and murmured a 'love you' to Tom just before scurrying out.

In what seemed to be mere moments later, the door opened again. "Weaver boys?"

It was time. The three boys stood up, and the two women followed them in.

"We're right behind you," Bloodgood assured, touching Benny's shoulder.

The agent led them down an excruciatingly long hallway before turning and opening up a door for them. "Here,"

Dr. Calvin was inside at his desk, and a sofa and a few chairs sat in the room with him. When his guests entered, he motioned to the sofa. "Please, have a seat. John and Mary will be in shortly,"

The atmosphere was painfully tense, and no one spoke. Finally, the door opened, and Aaleyah walked in.

"This way," she muttered to someone behind her. She tugged on what appeared to be a leash, and in stumbled the two people the children hadn't seen in quite some time: John and Mary Weaver.

Both of them looked terrifying and miserable, even more so than the boys had remembered. John refused to make eye contact as he sat down, and Mary seemed to be quivering. There was no 'hello' or 'how are you' as they sat down, and Mary just looked up and stared at her sons silently.

"This isn't all of them," Mary growled as Aaleyah shut the door.

Calvin rose from his seat and took a breath. "I know, Mary. The younger two couldn't handle this and had to stay behind," He pulled up his office chair and sat between the two groups, trying to smile. "It's...it's been a long time, hasn't it?" When no one said anything, Calvin cleared his throat and adjusted his clipboard. "All right, then. Now, to begin, can we talk about the day of your death?"

At the mention of this, Mary suddenly became alive. "It wasn't my fault, Mr. Calvin!" Mary pleaded, the cuffs around her wrists jingling. "I swear, I never laid a hand on my babies!"

 _Babies._ Tom wanted to gag.

"I never said it was," Calvin spoke slowly and clearly. "But I want to know about the exact day, from your perspective,"

Mary seemed to close in on herself, and she hugged her scarred arms. "Well...what you wanna know?"

"Why did those people come after you?"

There was a long pause, and Mary smoothed her hair back. "Before, I'd...I'd confessed to James about myself. How my father was a vampire, and I had to hide it. He swore he wouldn't tell...he said..." all of the sudden, Mary stomped her foot on the floor. "He _lied!_ "

"Okay, okay!" Calvin tried to calm her down. "You know what? Perhaps we'll move away from that topic," he glanced down at his clipboard. "All right- what can you tell me about the abuse that went on in your household?"

At the mention of this, John leaned his head into his hand and stared at the floor. Mary seemed confused. "Abuse?"

Calvin sighed, tilting his head back slightly. "Mary, I'm talking about physical and verbal abuse, as well as child neglect, that all went on in that house,"

"That was all John!" Mary blurted out suddenly, close to tears. "I loved my children! I took them to church, I went to Caleb's track meets, I made the meals for them, I gave Tom that brace- what did John do!? Nothing! He did nothing except work in the fields all day, drink, smoke, and yell at our children!"

"I went to war for you," muttered John bitterly. "And how do you return the favor? You sleep with the preacher and have those twins,"

At the mention of this, Mary straightened up in her seat and became filled with rage. "What was I supposed to do, John!? You didn't want me! I was no good to you in bed! I was your wife- you were supposed to be making love to me and making me feel good! You had me, but all you wanted was other men!"

This was when John began crying. He still didn't make a sound, but everyone could see the tears rolling down his scarred face.

Mary continued. "And-and I see all of you judging me for what I did with James, but let me ask you- who else was gonna love me!? Huh!? I prayed and I prayed for John to want me, but It wasn't enough, and I had to give in to my urges. Now, I realize my sin was just as bad as the one John could have committed, but I...I had twins from my sin," her voice had lowered, and her hands were open and facing the ceiling like a flower faces the sun. "I had a husband, and I had children. I was a Christian woman, and I did what my aunt said Christian women should do,"

All the boys had been silent until Tom lifted his head. There was an unspeakable anger in his eyes. "You're not a real Christian," he muttered.

Mary turned her attention to her son, her eyes narrowing. "I'm what?"

Tom's nails dug into the fabric of the sofa. All the rage, the pain, the abuse, the neglect and lack of love- all of it finally burst out of Tom in this one moment of anger that he'd never unleashed unto his mother until now.

"You're not a real Christian!" Tom shouted, standing up suddenly. "A half-vampire who cheated on her husband and still claims that God favors her!? What a joke! And you have the audacity to call Tim and I the demons!? I wish those men had beat you to death and not me!"

Mary's face fell, and she seemingly deflated in her chair. She looked at her three sons with a look of betrayal. "I thought you loved me,"

As Tom sank back down on the sofa, Tim took this time to speak. "We did love you. We loved what we wanted you to be. I...I prayed for you a lot. I prayed to God that you would love us one day and become the mother we needed, but I guess God enjoyed ignoring our prayers,"

When Tim said this, Benny reached over and took Bloodgood's hand. "God didn't ignore us, Tim. He just answered our prayers in a way we didn't expect,"

Bloodgood bit down on her lip and tried not to cry when this happened, but a tear escaped.

Mary folded her hands on her lap and lifted her chin up. "So...I'm the mother God gave you, but you reject me?"

"God has quite the sense of humor," Tom snarled bitterly. "At least John had a reason- the war damaged you, John, and so did your desires. But, you'll never be my father. Neither will James,"

John had stopped weeping, but when Tom spoke, he buried his face back into his hands to hide more tears. Mary, on the other hand, was losing it.

"What about me?" Mary's hands clenched into fists. "Why are _you_ the only victims here? My father abandoned me, my mother died, my uncle beat me and raped me, and my aunt blamed me for everything! Why is everything my fault!? Why do you all blame me!? All I wanted was someone to love me, and what did I get!? Five little demons with shriveled souls and bad attitudes! That's why I slept with James- because I had _nothing!_ "

Her voice broke, and her eyes closed slowly. There was a pause, and then Tom reached over and got Dr. Calvin's attention. "I took that test with Ms. White again,"

Calvin looked up, wiping at his eyes. "And what happened?"

"I got a perfect score," Tom explained, his voice shaking. "I tested out of my Special Ed class. I'm in a class with Tim, now, where I deserve to be," he turned to look at his parents. "Now- I could never hate the two of you, but I can't love you either. You will never define who I am, and neither will James," he stood up, adjusting the hem of his shirt and smoothing his hair back. "You're never gonna see us again,"


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45:

Cherry Tree

"Boys, I'm very proud of you," Bloodgood told the three boys softly as they drove away from the center. "What you did today was not easy. Perhaps one day John and Mary will be rehabilitated, as you have, and they can try and mend fences with you,"

"I hope that, too," Benny agreed. He sounded like he was going to cry, but didn't.

Tom had been silent for the majority of the ride to Declan's house, but he turned to look out the window at the sunlight that parted the clouds. Spectra stared at him, and she couldn't help but admire what he had become.

"You know," Tom began after a moment. "It's a really nice day. What if we did something?"

"Oh?" Bloodgood glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. "Like what?"

He thought for a moment. "Like a picnic in the park," he concluded. "We could invite Declan and Billie,"

Spectra couldn't help but smile. "What a great idea, Tom,"

When Bloodgood went to pick up the younger kids and the baby, she suggested the idea of a picnic to Declan. He thought it was wonderful, and so did the kids.

So, that afternoon, everyone packed games, toys and other things and headed to the park. Spectra had even decided to invite Duncan, as they hadn't gotten together in a while. They planned to order a pizza and some chicken, as that was the only food anyone seemed to agree on.

The kids got a bit impatient waiting for the food, so they wandered into the baseball field to mess around.

"What's taking Billie so long to pick up some pizza!?" Emily demanded to know, huffing. "I'm sick of waiting!"

Caleb was on his knees digging in the dirt, and he held up a handful of pebbles. "Don't complain! Look at this," he stood up and showed the pebbles to the others. "Look at these rocks. They're made from little bits, and those little bits are made from even smaller little bits, which are made from even smaller bits! So, if everything is made from little bits, then so is food!" he picked up a pebble and held it in the air. "Which means that this rock is exactly the same as a chicken nugget!"

Tom just shook his head. "What the heck, Caleb? I- oh, don't eat it!" he tried in vain to pry the stone from Caleb's mouth. "What's wrong with you!?"

Just then, they heard Bloodgood calling them. "Children! Food!"

Billie closed the car door as he handed a pizza box off to Declan. "Hold this- this one's got the wings in it,"

Declan took a peek into the box and wrinkled his nose. "Why does one-half of this have both sausage _and_ ham?"

"That's for me," Billie explained curtly. "And no, I didn't ask for pineapple on yours. Fruit doesn't belong on pizza,"

"Tomato's a fruit," Declan muttered, but he stopped walking when he noticed Billie glaring at him. "...what?"

Billie was silent for a few seconds. "I should smack you," he said finally.

As Declan set the box on the picnic table, he declared, "You can strike me, but you can't strike the truth!"

After receiving some food and sitting in the grass with Duncan and Kayako, Spectra was all caught up on their business: Kayako and Duncan had recently become engaged, and they had plans to adopt Emily. Duncan and Travis had made amends with one another, but Travis still was wary about re-kindling their friendship. Travis was also very busy with caring for his mother, as she'd been locked up in a mental hospital. Milo Wing had restricted himself to eating only insects, as his experience as a feral Praying Mantis gave him a strong aversion to regular meat. Kayako had exchanged phone numbers with her sister, Naoko, and they stayed in contact.

"Naoko's told me all about her family," Kayako explained. "She, Magnum and Sadako have a nice house with the two children. They'd very happy,"

Billie, who'd just sat down, picked some burnt cheese off his pizza and asked, "And how is the termite?"

Kayako's face fell. "...termite?"

"Magnum, I mean," Billie clarified, bitter. "How is Magnum?"

"Why do you hate him so much?" Spectra wanted to know. "What's your issue with him?"

Billie rolled his eyes. "Lots of things. He's a prick, he thinks he better than everyone else because he's the only Wendigo in our group who never ate anyone- according to him, anyway- and he's just...he's just a jerk,"

"He cares for my sister," Kayako spoke up, a little quiet but upset.

"Whatever happened to Lyle and Amber?" asked Duncan, trying to change the subject.

Billie took a bite of pizza before answering. "Okay, I guess. They have an apartment downtown with Megan and Amy and the kids. Lyle bought a laptop with a few of his savings and sells homemade greeting cards, and he also emails me non-stop. I gonna go visit them tomorrow afternoon,"

As Billie continued, Spectra's eyes wandered to the cluster of trees in the distance. Lillian had wandered away from the other kids and to a large, blossoming cherry tree. She stared up at it, her stuffed animals clutched in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. Spectra watched her for a moment, and she stood up and went to her.

"Don't you want to eat with the other kids?" Spectra asked softly, sitting beside Lillian in the grass.

Lillian shrugged, biting into her pizza. "Not right now. Emily's trying to get me to kiss Toshio,"

Spectra wrinkled her nose. "Why's that?"

"They're playing with a bottle," Lillian explained. "I don't wanna play,"

There was a silence, and Spectra sat in the grass and took Lillian into her lap. "Lillian," she began, glancing up at the cherry tree. "Why did you start calling me 'Mama' and not Bloodgood?"

"Well..." Lillian thought about it. "You're the Mama I wanted. You play with me and we watch TV together. Mary only brushed my hair and yelled at me for being a 'slut'-"

Spectra stopped her quickly. "Lillian, please don't use that word! You're anything but that," she leaned forward and wrapped Lillian in her arms, resting her cheek on her head. "You're just a child,"

They stayed that way for a very long time, and it was that moment that Spectra closed her eyes and finally realized she was the children's mother. She'd been picked for a reason, and her life (or lack thereof) was complete. She'd never been a happier woman.

"Lillian?" Bloodgood's voice broke the silence, and Spectra looked up to see the other woman standing over her. "Spectra, the other kids want to know if Lillian will play tag with them,"

Spectra released Lillian and inquired, "Would you like to, Lillian?"

Lillian shrugged. "Okay, but no more bottles!"

As Lillian ran to where the other kids were, Spectra turned back to the cherry tree and admired it. "You know, Bloodgood- these trees are interesting. When you see them in the winter, they just look like any other dead or cold tree, but then Spring comes, and they become these gorgeous trees full of blossoms. If you'd never seen a cherry tree and only saw one during the winter, you'd never think it could be anything else. But, it can,

"Indeed," Bloodgood nearly whispered. Their eyes met, and then Bloodgood turned away. "Come, let's make sure the children stay out of trouble,"

Spectra nodded, but before she left, she turned back to look at the tree.

It was a beautiful thing.

* * *

 **...**

 **And this is the part where I end yet another story.**

 **Thank you for reading! I really appreciate your enjoyment. I hope this was a satisfying end, though it was a bit short.**

 **In case you're wondering, there's no epilogue for another story. However, this doesn't mean that my series is ending- there will be another story, but because I'm busy with 'Clash Of The Worlds', I'll be focusing on that for the time being.**

 **Thanks for everything!**


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